Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
Fungal arthritis is infection of a joint by a fungus.
Alternative Names
Mycotic arthritis
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Fungal arthritis, also called mycotic arthritis, is a very rare condition. It can be caused by any of the invasive types of fungi. These organisms may affect bone or joint tissue. One or more joints may be affected, most often the large, weight-bearing joints, especially the knees.
Conditions that can cause fungal arthritis include:
Blastomycosis Candidiasis Coccidioidomycosis Cryptococcosis Histoplasmosis Sporotrichosis
The infection sometimes occurs as a result of an infection in another organ such as the lungs, and tends to get worse very slowly. The large joints are most often affected. People with weakened immune systems who travel or live in endemic areas are more susceptible to most causes of fungal arthritis.
Review Date: 12/01/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in
Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division
of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts
General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
