Disseminated gonococcal infection: A case report of gonococcal polyarthritis

Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) is a sexually transmitted pathogen and its dissemination can lead to a variety of clinical signs and symptoms, such as arthralgias and arthritis. We report a case of an immunocompetent, 20-year- old patient with purulent arthritis due to disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). Before discharge diagnosis, the patient was treated for rheumatoid arthritis, which worsened his clinical condition and delayed diagnosis. On further questioning, the patient reported urethral discharge, then the causative agent was identified by performing a PCR on the first stream of urine which came back positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This case’s aim is to demonstrate an infrequently seen manifestation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, since the incidence of N. gonorrhoeae infections has increased in recent years, and to highlight the need for awareness of extragenital manifestations of gonococcal infection especially in young adults.