Disseminated melioidosis presenting as septic arthritis

Abstract

Melioidosis is an infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. The disease is known as a remarkable imitator due to the wide and variable clinical spectrum of its manifestations. Septic arthritis is rare but well-recognized manifestation of this disease. We report a case of melioidosis in a 52 year male with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM) presenting with a rare combination of septic arthritis and abscesses in the chest wall, liver and subcutaneous tissue. The patient responded to prolonged treatment of intravenous ceftazidime followed by oral co-trimoxazole.