Unique presentation of rat-bite fever: Polyarthritis with petechial lesion on palms and soles

Abstract

Rat-bite fever is a rare disease because of its challenging diagnosis and propensity to mimic other conditions that present with symptoms, such as rash and polyarthritis. However, when left untreated, this illness can persist for weeks or even months and has been associated with a reported mortality rate of approximately 10%. Furthermore, rat-bite fever can lead to severe complications including septic arthritis, endocarditis, pericarditis, pneumonia, and meningitis. In this case report, we present the clinical findings of a 36-year-old male patient who presented to our department with intermittent fever and polyarthritis persisting for 1 week. After a thorough evaluation, the patient was ultimately diagnosed with rat-bite fever through blood culture analysis.

Keywords

• petechiae
• polyarthritis
• rat-bite fever
• skin rash