Invasive staphylococcal infections complicating percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: three cases and review.

Infectious complications infrequently occur after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is performed. We recently treated three patients with invasive staphylococcal infections that developed after PTCA. Two patients had septic arthritis of the knee joint secondary to probable femoral endarteritis, and the third patient had an infected hematoma of the groin. Early reuse of the initial puncture site, prolonged retention of the femoral sheath, bleeding or hematoma at the femoral sheath insertion site and vascular complications such as pseudoaneurysm may predispose to infectious sequelae after PTCA. The clinician should be aware of these risks and the possibility that a patient may develop these potentially serious complications after PTCA.