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. 1981 Dec;40(6):609–611. doi: 10.1136/ard.40.6.609

Septic arthritis in rheumatoid disease causing bilateral shoulder dislocation: diagnosis and treatment assisted by grey scale ultrasonography.

B M Gompels, L G Darlington
PMCID: PMC1000840  PMID: 7332383

Abstract

Signs of sepsis may be obscure in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in association with long-term steroid therapy. If mortality is to be avoided, a high index of suspicion must be maintained for the diagnosis, and doubtful joints should be aspirated for culture and prompt therapy with the correct antibiotic. In this report a patients with advanced rheumatoid arthritis presented with bilateral shoulder dislocation due to septic arthritis. Ultrasonography was particularly helpful in guiding a 20 G needle to fluid collections with the debris-filled joint capsules and in facilitating successful aspiration. Ultrasound also provided a painless, noninvasive, and safe method of serial assessment of the joints after therapy.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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