Erroneous claims of priority in publication.

To the Editor: We read with interest the recent case report regarding septic arthritis caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum. (1) The authors claim in the abstract, introduction, and key points that their patient is the first reported case of septic arthritis due to this pathogen. However, Gunnarsson et al (2) reported septic arthritis caused by C meningosepticum in a 17-year-old immunocompetent male sustaining a penetrating knife injury to the left knee following a fall. Culture and biochemical tests of aspirated joint fluid identified C meningosepticum that was successfully treated with ciprofloxacin and vancomycin.

While some false claims of priority are likely due to an inadequate literature search, we suggest an alternative explanation in this example. The report by Gunnarsson et al (2) was accepted on November 30, 2001, but not published until April 2002. The report by Kumar et al (1) was accepted on May 30, 2002, but not published until January 2004. It is therefore most likely that, due to the delay in publishing the prior case once it was accepted, the authors of the latter case probably would not have had knowledge of the earlier report before submitting their case. In retrospect, this report was found on PubMed utilizing the search terms "chryseobacterium" and "septic arthritis."

The prestige of a "first case report" is alluring but should only be claimed when justified by a thorough and meticulous literature search. This example illustrates why such erroneous priority claims arise in the literature even despite the best efforts of the authors. Due to significant delays in some journals from the date of submission until eventual publication, it is possible that a case claiming firstness would be valid at the time of submission, only to be usurped by another case further along in the publication process but unbeknownst to the authors at the time. This window of uncertainty is one reason to advise against making such claims of firstness, secondness, etc. But a wise course of action might be for authors to at least search the literature again during the proofing stage to make one last attempt to identify other cases that would afford them the opportunity to modify a manuscript before publication to avoid making an erroneous claim.

References

1. Kumar R, Stephens JL. Septic arthritis caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum in an elbow joint prosthesis. South Med J 2004;97(1):74-76.

2. Gunnarsson G, Baldursson H, Hilmarsdottir I. Septic arthritis caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum in an immunocompetent male. Scand J Infect Dis 2002;34(4):299-230.

James Bradley Summers, MS, MD

Department of Radiology

University of South Alabama 

Medical Center

Mobile, AL

Joseph M. Kaminski, MD

Department of Radiology

Medical College of Georgia 

Augusta, GA