Periprosthetic knee joint infection caused by Brucella melitensis which was first-osteoarticular brucellosis or osteoarthrosis: A case report

BACKGROUND Brucellosis is the most common zoonosis worldwide and is endemic in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. However, it is uncommon in Central Europe, and periprosthetic infections caused by Brucella are therefore rare. Due to the low prevalence and nonspecific clinical presentation of the disease, accurate diagnosis can be challenging; no gold standard currently exists for treating brucellosis.CASE SUMMARY Here, we present a 68-year-old Afghan woman living in Austria with a periprosthetic knee infection caused by Brucella melitensis. The interval from total knee arthroplasty to septic loosening was five years. A profound medical history and examinations suggested that the patient had been suffering from unrecognized chronic osteoarticular brucellosis prior to total knee arthroplasty. She was successfully treated by two-stage revision surgery and combined antibiotic therapy over three months.CONCLUSION Clinicians should consider brucellosis as a possible cause of chronic arthralgia and periprosthetic infection in patients originating from countries with a high brucellosis burden.