A swollen knee was the first symptom of a Victorian man’s serious cardiac diagnosis — later traced back to an unfortunate rodent encounter in his workplace. 

Melbourne researchers detailed how the 44-year-old patient first presented to ED with left knee monoarthritis and a moderate sized effusion.

Writing in the Medical Journal of Australia, they say aspirate returned a negative culture and the man was sent home, only to re-present a week later with ongoing left knee arthralgia, rigors and a fever of 38.2°C.  

At that point, doctors thought septic arthritis was the likely cause and the man underwent surgical washout followed by treatment with IV ceftriaxone.