title: Cutaneous infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum: a microbiological report.
abstract: We report here a rare case of cutaneous infection due to Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum. The patient presented to the clinical laboratory with a skin ulcer on his left leg. Gram-stained preparation of the purulent secretion revealed the presence of numerous rod-shaped Gram-positive organisms in the absence of any other species. The organism was grown in pure culture on sheep blood agar and was further identified as C. pseudodiphtheriticum using a commercial identification system (API-Coryne, BioMérieux, France). The infection was successfully treated with ciprofloxacin. This case emphasizes the importance of the clinical microbiology laboratory in correctly identifying Gram-positive organisms obtained in pure culture from skin ulcers.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Molecular Biology Sections, Weinmann Laboratório Ltda, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. vcantarelli@weinmann.com.br
authors.forename: Vlademir Vicente
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Cantarelli
authors.forename: Teresa Cristina Z
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Brodt
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Secchi
authors.forename: Everton
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inamine
authors.forename: Fabiana de Souza
authors.initials: Fde S
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin