Pasteurella multocida polyarticular septic arthritis.

Pasteurella multocida is an unusual cause of septic arthritis with most patients having underlying joint damage or altered host defenses. We report 2 cases of polyarticular sepsis with this bacteria. Predisposing factors in our patients included alcoholic cirrhosis, end stage renal disease and metastatic malignancy. Heightened awareness of this organism's involvement in polyarticular septic arthritis in the immunocompromised patient is emphasized.