title: Invasive Clostridium septicum infection in association with colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: The association between invasive Clostridium septicum infection and colorectal carcinoma is examined by the presentation of three cases and a review of the literature. In the first two cases the patients presented with nontraumatic metastatic clostridial gas gangrene. In the third case a patient with chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression from concomitant multiple myeloma had a necrotizing transmural infection of the right colon. The apparent portal of entry of Clostridium septicum was an occult carcinoma of the ascending colon. The increasing evidence for a strong link between this organism and some cases of neutropenic enterocolitis is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa General Hospital, Ont.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lorimer
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Eidus
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000150:complications; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000150:complications; D002430:Cecal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000150:complications*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000382:microbiology; D005738:Gas Gangrene / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000150:complications; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000150:complications; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000382:microbiology