Two-sided femoral Campylobacter jejuni osteomyelitis in a patient with acquired hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report

BACKGROUND: Campylobacter jejuni is a motile, gram-negative rod known for causing self-limiting enterocolitis while rarely causing extraintestinal infections. We report the first case of a patient with Campylobacter jejuni osteomyelitis in both femora. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old female presented with progressive pain in both upper extremities. Her past medical history mentioned a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) for which she had received dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide and fludarabine and was still receiving maintenance therapy with intravenous rituximab. Two months prior to presentation, she received oral fluoroquinolone for a recurrent enterocolitis with stool cultures positive for Campylobacter jejuni. Palpation of the left quadriceps femoris muscle was remarkably painful during physical examination. Laboratory testing showed elevated C-reactive protein and recent low gamma globulin levels. The presumptive diagnosis at this point was a transformation of LPL to a large B cell lymphoma. In order to determine the preferred site for biopsy, a fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography was done. However, blood cultures taken on admission showed growth of Campylobacter jejuni in both aerobic bottles, with a strain resistant to fluoroquinolones. Diagnosis of Campylobacter jejuni osteomyelitis was confirmed with 16S ribosomal RNA gene polymerase chain reaction performed on femoral bone obtained through biopsy. Treatment with intravenous imipenem/cilastatin followed by intravenous and oral doxycycline proved insufficient. Subsequently, the patient was treated successfully with intravenous meropenem for six weeks and concurrent intravenous immunoglobulin. CONCLUSION: We report the first case of Campylobacter jejuni osteomyelitis in both femora in a patient with acquired hypogammaglobulinemia. Diagnosis was confirmed by blood cultures and positive 16S ribosomal RNA gene polymerase chain reaction for Campylobacter spp. on bone biopsy. Treatment was successful with intravenous meropenem and immunoglobulin. Our report showcases an unusual manifestation in a patient with immunodeficiency and discusses failure of initial antibiotic therapy.