Introduction:

spontaneous septic arthritis is a rare disease that requires immediate orthopedic attention. Involvement of the shoulder joint is infrequent and represents less than 5 % of cases.

Case report:

23-year-old male patient with a 14-day history of pain in the right shoulder with no apparent cause, which increases over the course of the days, until it becomes disabling, limiting mobility. The picture is accompanied by unquantified thermal rises, of daily presentation and at any time, chills, general malaise. Physical examination revealed edema, erythema and heat at the right shoulder, blood pressure of 93/53 mmHg, heart rate of 133 bpm and respiratory rate of 28 rpm. The presence of an infectious process at the level of the right shoulder was considered, proceeding to carry out surgical cleaning. Blood cultures were carried out, in which oxacillin-resistant staphylococcus epidermidis was identified, similar to the drainage fluid culture. She received 21 days of antibiotic therapy, with favorable evolution, but with important functional limitation in the affected joint.

Conclusions:

septic arthritis is a rare orthopedic emergency that can cause irreversible damage to the affected joint if not treated in time. It is important to consider septic arthritis in the differential diagnosis in patients with joint pain and systemic symptoms, even in the absence of known risk factors. The clinical evolution of the patient is usually favorable after adequate antibiotic therapy and surgical lavage.

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