The nomadic bug: a case report of salmonella septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint

Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint is extremely rare in an otherwise healthy adult. It is reported to affect less than 0.5 % of all bone and joint infections. It usually affects immunocompromised patients or patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse. Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint requires immediate treatment to prevent morbidity and mortality. Serious complications from this condition include osteomyelitis, chest wall abscess and mediastinitis. We present a rare case of sternoclavicular septic arthritis caused by Salmonella sp. in a healthy 49-year-old lady complicated with lung empyema and mediastinitis. With early detection, her condition improved with antibiotics and aspiration of the lung empyema. To our knowledge, only two previous cases of Salmonella septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint were reported in the literature