[Listeria monocytogenes infection in a total knee arthroplasty].

BACKGROUND

Acute blood borne prosthetic infections occur in patients with an asymptomatic prosthesis that, after an infection involving bacteremia, produces bacterial implantation in the prosthesis and causes an acute infection. This type of infection is usually caused by gram positive cocci, Streptococci and Staphylococci. We present the clinical case of a patient without a history of immunodeficiency, who had an acute blood borne knee prosthetic infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes.

METHODS

The diagnosis of infection was made based on the clinical data, blood tests and the positive culture of an arthrocentesis. A prosthetic exchange was performed in two stages.

RESULTS

After the revision arthroplasty, the patient was still infection free at the 24-month followup.

CONCLUSIONS

This type of infection is rare, with very few cases published in the literature, and without a defined treatment modality. The two-stage prosthetic exchange is a valid alternative in prosthetic infections caused by this microorganism and avoids suppressive antibiotic therapy.