Sphingomonas paucimobilis-related bone and soft-tissue infections: A systematic review

Background: Sphingomonas paucimobilis is an emerging opportunistic bacterium with a particular tropism toward bones and soft tissues. It is a gram-negative rod that can infect immunosuppressed or immunocompetent individuals in the community or hospital settings. Prognosis of infected patients is generally good, but morbidity and mortality cases have both been documented. Objectives: To present and discuss all reported Sphingomonas paucimobilis-mediated bone and soft-tissue infections, and shed light upon the relevance of this organism in orthopaedic surgery. Data sources: Pubmed and Cochrane Library. Study eligibility criteria: Studies reporting at least one human bone or soft-tissue infection due to Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Results: Ten articles describing 19 patients met the inclusion criteria. Common infections included osteomyelitis, cellulitis, and septic arthritis. Fifteen patients (78.9%) had community-acquired diseases. All patients were successfully treated with antibiotic therapy and only one (5.3%) had a residual complication. Limitations: The study included a small sample size presenting with bone or soft-tissue infections. Some cases had lacking data. Conclusion: Despite being associated with a good prognosis in most cases, Sphingomonas paucimobilis-related orthopaedic infections may exhibit some complications.