Abstract: Journal of Infectious Diseases and Viruses Research

Abstract:
We report an extremely late prosthetic joint infection (PJI) caused by Streptococcus gallolyticus occurring 18 years after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in an 84-year-old woman. The patient presented with pain and swelling of the knee without systemic symptoms. Synovial cultures revealed S. Gallolyticus, a rare cause of PJI strongly as sociated with gastrointestinal lesions. The infection was managed by complete prosthesis removal and implantation of a static antibiotic-loaded cement spacer reinforced with metal rods. The patient declined further reconstructive surgery. This case underscores the possibility of very late hematogenous seeding of a knee prosthesis by S. gallolyt icus and highlights the importance of gastrointestinal evaluation in such infections.