Mycobacterium fortuitum Prosthetic Joint Infection After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

CASE: A 57-year-old man presented with a Mycobacterium fortuitum prosthetic joint infection (PJI) after right total hip arthroplasty refractory to the initial revision surgery and cement spacer placement. The patient was subsequently treated with 2-stage total joint arthroplasty revision surgery using an antibiotic-laden spacer customized to include meropenem and delayed reimplantation to allow for prolonged, systemic antimicrobial treatment with multiple antimicrobials, including levofloxacin and linezolid.

CONCLUSIONS

There is little evidence to guide practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of PJI caused by rare, rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) such as M. fortuitum. This case demonstrates a successful strategy for the treatment of RGM PJI.