Abstract
Background. The prepatellar bursa can become inflamed owing to repeated trauma. Prepatellar bursitis is extremely rare in children. Methods. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who was treated for an erythematous, swollen, and severely painful right knee, fever, inability to bear weight on the leg, and purulent material draining from a puncture wound. We describe the differential diagnosis for tender swollen knee, including infection, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. If untreated, prepatellar bursitis can progress to patellar osteomyelitis. Results. Wound cultures grew Streptococcus pyogenes, with the infection resolving with amoxicillin. Conclusions. A high index of suspicion is necessary in children presenting with prepatellar bursitis to prevent potentially devastating sequelae of infection of the septic joint.
Highlights
A bursa is a synovium-like cellular membrane overlying bony prominences such as subdeltoid, olecranon, ischial, trochanteric, semimembranosus-gastrocnemius, and prepatellar
The prepatellar bursa is located between the patella and the overlying skin and commonly becomes inflamed due to repeated trauma, such as kneeling on hard surfaces, causing bursitis
Prepatellar bursitis often occurs in adults who work in an occupation that requires frequent kneeling, for example, cleaning floors
Summary
The prepatellar bursa can become inflamed owing to repeated trauma. Prepatellar bursitis is extremely rare in children. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who was treated for an erythematous, swollen, and severely painful right knee, fever, inability to bear weight on the leg, and purulent material draining from a puncture wound. We describe the differential diagnosis for tender swollen knee, including infection, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Prepatellar bursitis can progress to patellar osteomyelitis. Wound cultures grew Streptococcus pyogenes, with the infection resolving with amoxicillin. A high index of suspicion is necessary in children presenting with prepatellar bursitis to prevent potentially devastating sequelae of infection of the septic joint
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