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Infectious Arthritis

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Rheumatology for Primary Care Providers

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Abstract

The osteoarticular system can be infected by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Bacterial joint infections typically present with acute redness and swelling of the infected joint; the most common cause is Staphylococcus aureus. Other bacterial infections can present more atypically. Disseminated gonococcal infection often causes a polyarticular infection with prominent involvement of the tenosynovium, along with a characteristic purpuric rash. Lyme arthritis can present with a migratory, relapsing-remitting course. Viruses can cause arthralgias but uncommonly affect the joint themselves. The exception is parvovirus which can present with a rheumatoid-arthritis like picture in adults, as well as chikungunya virus that presents with acute polyarticular synovitis in a patient with an appropriate travel history. Tuberculosis is a common cause of osteoarticular infection in many parts of the world though uncommon in the United States. Fungal infections should be considered in immunocompromised patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Daniel Bunker

  2. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Gayle Phadungchai Balba

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  1. Daniel Bunker
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  2. Gayle Phadungchai Balba
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Correspondence to Daniel Bunker .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA

    Yousaf Ali

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Bunker, D., Balba, G.P. (2022). Infectious Arthritis. In: Ali, Y. (eds) Rheumatology for Primary Care Providers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80699-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80699-6_11

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