A rare case of Clostridium sordellii bacteremia in an immunocompromised patient.
Clostridium sordellii is a gram-positive, anaerobic sporeforming rod with peritrichous flagella that is rarely associated with disease in humans. In most cases, infections occur after trauma, childbirth and routine gynecological procedures or intravenous drug abuse. C. sordellii produce several exotoxins that lead to progressive edema and shock, and C. sordellii infections have high mortality rates of up to 70%. Since its first report in 1922, only a few cases of bacteremia have been reported. This report describes a case of C. sordellii bacteremia in a patient with rectum carcinoma and liver metastases.
Matten
J
J
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center, Ostmerheimerstrasse 200, Cologne, Germany. mattenj@zentrallabor-kliniken-koeln.de
Buechner
V
V
Schwarz
R
R
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D047989:Paraclostridium sordellii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications