Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection: an unusual complication of total elbow arthroplasty

Introduction: This case report describes the secondary infection of a total elbow prosthesis with the uncommon Gram‐negative organism Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an elbow arthroplasty being affected by this organism. Case presentation: A 57‐year‐old male had a right total elbow replacement in 2009, which subsequently became infected with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, eventually leading to an above‐elbow amputation. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of a combined surgical and microbiological approach for the difficult treatment of deep joint replacement infections. Although Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is currently a rare pathogen in infection following arthroplasty, given the increasing number of multidrug‐resistant organisms, it may represent a future challenge to both surgeons and microbiologists.