Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint caused by rare bacteria

What is it about?

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an unusual disease in adults. Inoculation of the pathogen may occur through traumatic or iatrogenic injuries, or more often by haematogenous spread from a distant focus. The cause of infection is unknown in most cases. The infection was caused by Raoultella ornithinolytica – a rare bacterial species in humans, which has not been reported previously in any patients with joint problems

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Why is it important?

The arthritis manifested 5 weeks after an arthroscopy procedure in a 38-year old female patient, so the cause was not clear. However, the infection was caused by Raoultella ornithinolytica. This seemingly mild septic arthritis of the TMJ responded well to antibiotic therapy and lavage, but finally led to fatal destruction of the joint structures