COVID-19 with Suspected Secondary Pyogenic Arthritis of the Hip: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 may be associated with orthopedic symptoms, including myalgia and joint pain. There are reports of reactive arthritis and acute arthritis diagnosed after COVID-19; however, COVID-19-associated pyogenic arthritis has not been reported.

Case report: We treated a young woman with secondary pyogenic hip arthritis that started after COVID-19. The patient was a 23-year-old woman who developed acute pain in the right hip 9 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Blood cultures revealed methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed joint effusion in the right hip. Although the joint fluid culture results were negative, we suspected pyogenic arthritis of the hip joint and performed curettage and continuous irrigation of the right hip joint. Intraoperative histopathological examination of the synovial membrane revealed numerous neutrophils with segmental nuclei, consistent with a diagnosis of pyogenic arthritis.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of probable secondary pyogenic hip arthritis in a patient with COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; hip joint; pyogenic arthritis.