DEAR DR. GOTT: My healing wasn’t complete a year following rotator-cuff surgery. My shoulder became red and swollen. My doctor opened it up to see what was going on and found “rice bodies” — thousands of them. I understand this is a rare thing and that little is known about the cause or the treatment. I am specifically interested in knowing what antibiotics should be used. I am now on infusion therapy. Also, could these be elsewhere in my body?
DEAR READER: Identified and documented as far back as 1895, rice bodies were originally thought related to tuberculous arthritis. The name originated because of a similarity in appearance to grains of polished white rice.
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