Panophthalmitis due to clostridium septicum.
OBJECTIVE
To describe patient survival in a rare case of endogenous Clostridium septicum sepsis with panophthalmitis.


METHODS
Observational case report.


METHODS
Both eyes of a female patient were examined in a hospital setting.


RESULTS
A 68-year-old woman had right orbital pain, proptosis, panophthalmitis, mental confusion and fever for 2 days. Blood cultures were significant for Clostridium septicum. The patient did not improve after treatment with intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics and the right eye was enucleated. The patient survived the acute infection and extensive systemic evaluation revealed an undiagnosed colon carcinoma that may have been responsible for colonization and vascular dissemination of Clostridium septicum.


CONCLUSIONS
Clostridium septicum panophthalmitis and sepsis can be the presenting sign in patients with unsuspected malignancies, particularly colon cancer. Patients can survive the infection with aggressive therapy with systemic antibiotics combined with removal of the infected tissue.
Schickner
Daniel C
DC
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
Yarkoni
Alon
A
Langer
Paul
P
Frohman
Larry
L
Chen
Xue
X
Folberg
Robert
R
Del Priore
Lucian V
LV
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D010202:Panophthalmitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents