title: Group A Streptococcus septicemia and an infected, ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with pharyngitis.
abstract: A 65-year-old man had a 3-day history of sore throat, fever, rigors, back pain, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The patient's daughter had group A streptococcus pharyngitis. The patient was found to have a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. He underwent resection of the aneurysm and right axillary femoro-femoral bypass graft. The patient died 40 hours after admission. Gram stain of the aneurysm showed numerous gram-positive cocci. Group A streptococcus grew from cultures of blood, throat, and aneurysm. The group A streptococcus was M type 3, T type 3 and produced streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A. This case is a very rare fatal complication of group A streptococcus pharyngitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center, Youngstown, Ohio 44501-1790.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cutrona
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watanakunakorn
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Talkington
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000785:Aneurysm, Infected / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes