Clostridium septicum infection associated with perforation of colon diverticulum.
Non-traumatic or spontaneous gas gangrene by Clostridium septicum is a rare infection in humans, characterised by extensive destruction of muscle tissue, a mortality rate of 100% if left untreated (1), and often associated with haematological or colorectal diseases. An associated malignancy was found in 80% of patients with Clostridium septicum infection: 34% had a colorectal carcinoma and 40% had a haematological malignancy (2); the infection usually lies in an often-ulcerated intestinal lesion (3). We report here a case of spontaneous gas gangrene by Clostridium septicum in the right thigh due to perforation of a diverticulum in the sigmoid colon.
San Ildefonso
A
A
Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Do Meixoeiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain. sanilde@yahoo.com
Maruri
I
I
Facal
C
C
Casal
E
E
D000368:Aged; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005734:Gangrene; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology*; D013848:Thigh