Podcast 838: Sternoclavicular Septic Arthritis

<p><strong>Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint is uncommon accounting for <1% of septic arthritis cases</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Immunosuppression and IV drug use increases the risk</span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> Can account for up to 17% of septic arthritis cases in patients who use IV drugs</span></li> </ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Symptoms are typically vague with pain presenting around where the sternum meets the clavicle</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Consider imaging with CT or MRI and draining/analyzing the fluid if possible</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, but surgery may be required to wash out joint and resect infected bone</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">As septic arteritis of the sternoclavicular join is uncommon, remember that patients presenting multiple times for the same complaint require a broader differential and a more extensive workup so that less common conditions are not missed</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gonçalves RB, Grenho A, Correia J, Reis JE. Sternoclavicular joint septic arthritis in a healthy adult: a rare diagnosis with frequent complications.</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">J Bone Jt Infect</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. 2021;6(9):389-392. doi:10.5194/jbji-6-389-2021</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thompson MA, Barlotta KS. Septic Arthritis of the Sternoclav