title: Fatal outcome of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in a patient with oropharyngeal cancer.
abstract: Bacteremia due to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is rare; the most common presentation reported in the literature is endocarditis. We report a 32-year-old man with oropharyngeal cancer who developed aspiration pneumonia and E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia, and presented with fever, chills, dyspnea, and productive cough with purulent sputum. Despite treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate and nutritional support for 9 days, he died of respiratory failure. He had no clinical evidence of endocarditis. He had no history of animal or occupational exposure, and might have been colonized with E. rhusiopathiae in the oral cavity, followed by aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia. A fatal outcome in a patient with bacteremia due to E. rhusiopathiae without endocarditis is rare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Luh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D004888:Erysipelothrix / Q000187:drug effects; D004889:Erysipelothrix Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*