Stomatococcus mucilaginosus: an emerging pathogen in neutropenic patients.
Stomatococcus mucilaginosus was isolated from eight neutropenic patients during nine febrile episodes over a 13-month period. Five of these isolates were from definite infections, including one case of fatal meningitis. This slime-producing, catalase-variable, gram-positive coccus is a component of the normal oral flora of humans. Its biochemical profile may result in misidentification; however, unlike most micrococci, it characteristically fails to grow on media containing 5% NaCl. All but one of our isolates were sensitive to benzylpenicillin, and all were sensitive to vancomycin. S. mucilaginosus may prove to be an important pathogen in severely immunocompromised patients.
McWhinney
P H
PH
Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Kibbler
C C
CC
Gillespie
S H
SH
Patel
S
S
Morrison
D
D
Hoffbrand
A V
AV
Prentice
H G
HG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008835:Micrococcaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents