Air Bubbles in the Knee Joint.
A 55 year old man was referred to a local hospital with difficulty in walking due to swelling and pain in the left leg. Because deep venous thrombosis was suspected, contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) from the leg to chest was performed. Computed tomography scans revealed a right pleural effusion, a large right knee joint effusion containing multiple air bubbles, a small left knee joint effusion, multiple encapsulated intramuscular lesions (water density) in both legs, and subcutaneous edema of the left leg (Fig. There was no arthrocentesis prior to the CT scan. Deep venous thrombosis was not detected. Serum C reactive protein (CRP) was 13.9 mg/dL, and the white blood cell count was 11,800/mL with 72% neutrophils. The right knee joint contained whitish yellow fluid, and the white blood cell count was 22,800/mL (90% neutrophils) He was admitted to the orthopedic department with a diagnosis of septic arthritis and multiple intramuscular abscesses. Antibiotics were started, and surgical drainage of the right suprapatellar pouch was performed. However, repeated aerobic
Journal of clinical rheumatology practical reports on rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases