title: Clostridium septicum infection associated with perforation of colon diverticulum.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hospital Do Meixoeiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain. sanilde@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: San Ildefonso
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maruri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Facal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casal
mesh_terms: 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