Alternative names: Mycotic arthritis; Infectious arthritis — fungal
Definition: Fungal arthritis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of a joint by a fungal infection. It is also called mycotic arthritis.
Fungal arthritis is a rare condition. It can be caused by any of the invasive types of fungi. The infection can result from an infection in another organ, such as the lungs and travel to a joint through the bloodstream. A joint can also become infected during a surgery. People with weakened immune systems who travel or live in areas where the fungi are common, are more susceptible to most causes of fungal arthritis.
Conditions that can cause fungal arthritis include:
- Blastomycosis
- Candidiasis
- Coccidioidomycosis
- Cryptococcosis
- Histoplasmosis
- Sporotrichosis
-
Exserohilum rostratum (from injection with contaminated steroid vials)
The fungus can affect bone or joint tissue. One or more joints can be affected, most often the large, weight-bearing joints, such as the knees.
Symptoms may include any of the following:
Your health care provider will examine you.
Tests that may be ordered include:
- Removal of joint fluid to look for fungus under a microscope
- Culture of joint fluid that grows fungus
- Joint x-ray showing joint changes
- Positive antibody test (serology) for fungal disease
- Synovial biopsy showing fungus
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Treatment
The goal of treatment is to cure the infection using antifungal drugs. Commonly used antifungal drugs are amphotericin B or drugs in the azole family (fluconazole, ketoconazole, or itraconazole).
Chronic or advanced bone or joint infection may require surgery (debridement) to remove the infected tissue.
How well you do depends on the underlying cause of the infection and your overall health. A weakened immune system, cancer, and certain medicines can affect the outcome.
Joint damage may occur if the infection is not treated right away.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call for an appointment with your provider if you have any symptoms of fungal arthritis.
Thorough treatment of fungal infections elsewhere in the body may help prevent fungal arthritis.
Ruderman EM, Flaherty JP. Fungal infections of bones and joints. In: Firestein GS, Budd RC, Gabriel SE, McInnes IB, O’Dell JR, eds. Kelly and Firestein’s Textbook of Rheumatology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 112.
