Clinical features of brucellosis periprosthetic joint infection / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations, diagnostic characteristics, treatment strategies and outcomes of patients with brucellaperi prosthetic joint infection (PJI).Methods:The medical records of 6 patients with brucella PJI in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital and the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, including 5 males and 1 female, aged 61.5±11.5 years (range 45-79 years) with body mass index 23.0±2.8 kg/m 2 (range 18.4-26.1 kg/m 2). Five cases lived in the countryside, 1 in the city. Four cases were farmers, while two cases were herder and unemployed. One case had contact history in the epidemic area, and 1 case had been in the slaughter industry. Three cases were with knee PJI, of which 1 patient underwent total knee arthroplasty due to knee joint villous nodular synovitis and 2 patients due to knee osteoarthritis. Three patients had hip PJI of which 1 patient underwent total hip arthroplasty due to spondylitis and hip ankylosis and 2 cases due to femoral head necrosis. Three cases were with acute PJI, while other 3 cases were with chronic PJI. Three cases showed fever, while 5 cases had local wounds swelling. A total of 4 cases were complicated with sinus tracts. Five cases had laboratory examinations on the day of admission of which 3 cases had elevated blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and 5 cases with increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Five cases were with increased blood interleukin-6 (IL-6), 2 cases with increased blood alanine transaminase (alanine transaminase, ALT). All cases had varying degrees of restricted movement of the affected joints. The normal range of motion of the hip joint was from 10° to 130°. The average range of motion of 3 patients with hip joint involvement was from 0° to 75°. The normal range of motion of the knee joint was 10°-135°. Three patients with knee joint involvement had an average range from -8° to 67°. One case showed loosening of the right hip prosthesis with infection and 1 case showed local soft tissue swelling. Other cases showed no obvious abnormalities in X-rays. Two patients who underwent frozen pathological examination during the operation had positive pathological neutrophilcounts. Four cases had positive Brucella culture in joint tissues or synovial fluid (1 case with mixed infection) and 2 cases had blood Brucella antibody positive. Results:Among the 3 cases of acute PJI, two of them were treated with debridement, antibiotics, irrigation and retention. One case was treated with two-stage revision. Among the 3 cases of chronic PJI, one was treated with two-stage revision and 2 were treated with one-stage revision. Brucella-specific antibiotics such as rifampicin and doxycycline were used in the antibiotic treatment with the course of antibiotics 3 to 12 weeks. At the time of discharge, the CRP and ESR dropped to the normal range (CRP 0-0.8 mg/dl, ESR 0-20 mm/1 h) in all cases except for the second case. Interleukin 6 was not tested in the sixth case before discharge. In the remaining 5 patients, the blood interleukin 6 fell to the normal range (0-5.9 pg/ml) in 2 cases, and the blood ALT was in the normal range (0-40 U/L) in 4 cases. The body temperature of the second case was 37.3 ℃, while the other cases dropped below 37.3 ℃. In the second case, fever occurred intermittently after surgery. Thus, the incisionwas reddened and swollen and exuded 2 months after the operation. The patient recovered after intravenous infusion of levofloxacin. Until the last follow-up, all patients had no recurrence of infection. Imaging examination comfirmed that the prosthesis was in good position.Conclusion:For patients with Brucella PJI, Brucella culture positive and Brucella antibody positive have specific diagnostic significance. Different surgical strategies will be adopt based on the patient's symptoms and the duration of infection. Surgery combined with Brucella specific antibiotic treatment can usually achieve satisfied therapeutic outcomes.