Fungal arthritis is rare. Only 23 cases of candidal arthritis have been reported. Arthritis in coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, and sporotrichosis is characterized pathologically by a granulomatous synovitis. The involved joints have a boggy, swollen appearance, and their motion is limited.
Patients have a history of chronic pain.
Sporotrichotic arthritis often occurs without previous overt lung or skin involvement. Transitory arthritis may occur in the primary stage of coccidioidomycosis as part of erythema nodosum. It may also occur later, during dissemination from the original pulmonary focus. Most frequently, the synovium is the primary site of involvement, although coccidioidal arthritis may result from extension of coccidioidal osteomyelitis into the joint space. Limited information is available about the characteristics of the joint fluid in fungal arthritis.