Osteomyelitis of the patella is an uncommon infection that is primarily a disease of childhood. The diagnosis frequently is delayed because of its rarity and variable presentation, which may be acute with systemic signs or insidious with mild local signs. The diagnosis should be considered in patients with persistent peripatellar pain and swelling, cellulitis, septic prepatellar bursitis, and s...

BACKGROUND Intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) is a common problem; there were more than 16 million users worldwide in 2008. Numerous reports highlight the infectious skeletal complication associated with IVDA. OBJECTIVE To determine septic arthritis pathogens in IVDA in a U.S. hospital and compare the current causative organisms to a cohort from the 1980s at the same institution. METHODS An inst...

Introduction: Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America. While uncommon, inhalation of spores or direct cutaneous contact can lead disseminated in immunocompetent, with involvement musculoskeletal integumentary systems. Case Report: A 49-year-old patient history pulmonary coccidioidomycosis presented right knee pain multiple sy...

BACKGROUND Early differentiation between septic and non-septic arthritis is difficult. A previous study showed promising diagnostic accuracy of serum Procalcitonin (PCT) in septic arthritis, limited by a low sensitive PCT test kit. OBJECTIVE To investigate the diagnostic value of PCT in patients with septic and non-septic arthritis using a novel test with low detection limit. METHODS Forty-...