Pune: In a first-of-its-kind case reported in the region, doctors at Surya Hospital, Pune, saved the life of a 13-year-old anaemic girl, Aryanshi, who narrowly escaped a lifetime of disability after developing an exceptionally rare form of bone-and-joint infection, called “Septic Arthritis” caused by the typhoid bacterium.
Aryanshi, who was already battling anaemia, developed a persistent fever for nearly two weeks, accompanied by swelling in her legs, abdominal bloating, difficulty in breathing, and severe pain in her hip and knee that left her unable to move. When rushed to the hospital, doctors discovered that she was suffering from an exceptionally rare condition called septic arthritis caused by a germ known for triggering typhoid fever. In her case, instead of attacking the stomach and intestines, the bacteria had lodged themselves inside her hip and knee joints, creating pus and inflammation.
The case was handled by Dr. Sachin Shah – Senior Pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Amita Kaul – Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Ashish Ranade – Senior Consultant (Paediatric Orthopaedics), Dr. Nakul Pathak – Associate Consultant, and Dr Siddhi Gawhale – Associate Consultant
Dr. Sachin Shah explained, “Pediatric septic arthritis itself is uncommon, affecting around only 4 in every 100,000 children each year. Only about 1% of these cases are attributed to the Typhoid bacterium, with fewer than a handful of pediatric cases reported worldwide. Aryanshi came in very sick, with sepsis and anaemia complicating her recovery. We had to stabilise her in the PICU through blood transfusions and urgently perform hip and knee washouts to clear the infection. The timely intervention prevented permanent joint damage.”
The doctors described that they had to run detailed tests on her blood and bone marrow, and also had to perform surgeries where they opened her knee and hip urgently, washed out the infected fluid like cleaning out a wound, and placed tiny drains to let it clear.
Speaking about the comorbidities affecting Aryanshi, Dr. Amita Kaul added, “What made this case striking was that the typhoid germ didn’t stay in the gut but instead hid in the hip and knee joints. Such extra-intestinal complications are extremely rare in children. To make matters worse, she also had megaloblastic anemia, which weakened her system. More than half of India’s women and adolescent girls are anemic, and this often worsens infections and delays recovery. Managing her anemia alongside the infection was crucial to her survival.”
Aryanshi’s mother recalled the family’s shock and said, “We never thought that her symptoms were that serious. We were terrified when we found Aryanshi battling for her life. She has always been a little sickly, but we never imagined that a fever could turn into something that might leave her unable to walk.”
After 15 days in hospital, including intensive care and surgical interventions, the teenager has now been discharged and is reportedly stable and healthy.
