Plantar Vein Thrombosis and Thrombophlebitis: An Uncommon Diagnosis in Emergency Medicine

Plantar vein thrombosis and plantar vein thrombophlebitis are not diagnoses typically made or considered in the emergency department. However, septic joints or gout are more commonly considered diagnoses. Early diagnosis of a septic joint is imperative, as there are many short-term and long-term consequences, such as sepsis, osteomyelitis, amputation, chronic arthritis, or joint replacement. Septic joint is a rare diagnosis and often only pursued with further diagnostic testing in the emergency department in patients with risk factors, such as our patient, who was on immunosuppressant medications. This case report describes the emergency department encounter of a patient with certain risk factors and physical exam findings that could be suggestive of a septic joint but was ultimately found to have a rare, yet less emergent, diagnosis.