Septic arthritis as the initial manifestation of fatal Vibrio vulnificus septicemia in a patient with thalassemia and iron overload.

Vibrio vulnificus infection is an uncommon but potentially fatal disease in children such that prompt recognition has prognostic implications. We describe here the case of a 9-year-old female with thalassemia and iron overload who presented with septic arthritis as an atypical initial manifestation of fatal V. vulnificus septicemia. This report underscores the possibility of septic arthritis as an early manifestation of V. vulnificus septicemia. Pediatricians should be alert to this extremely invasive disease, especially in children with iron overload.