Corynebacterium mucifaciensin an immunocompetent patient with cavitary pneumonia

Abstract

BackgroundCorynebacterium mucifaciens has been mainly isolated from skin, blood and from other normally-sterile body fluids. It has rarely been described as a human pathogen since its description.Case presentationWe herein report the first case of cavitary pneumonia due to C. mucifaciens in an immunocompetent man returning from Maghreb.ConclusionC. mucifaciens should be considered as important human pathogen in patients with severe illness and compatible history of exposure even in individuals with no clearly identified immunosuppression.

Corynebacteria as a cause of pulmonary infection: a case series and literature review

“…Implicated Corynebacterium spp. include C. pseudodiphtheriticum [ 12 , 13 ], C. propinquum [ 14 ], C. striatum [ 14 – 18 ], C. afermentans [ 19 ], C. xerosis [ 20 ], C. jeikeium [ 10 , 21 – 23 ], C. pseudotuberculosis [ 24 , 25 ], C. mucifaciens [ 26 ], C. ulcerans [ 27 ], and C. macginleyi [ 28 ].…”

“…Sputum culture reported “normal respiratory flora” 0 (0%) C. jeikeium [ 10 , 22 , 23 , 47 ] 5 48F, 28F, 29F, 76M, 77F 2 Acute myelogenous leukemia, 1 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Acute myelomonocytic leukemia, 1 old pulmonary tuberculosis, and 1 COPD Pneumonia, (necrosis and hemorrhage in 1 case) Positive gram stain and culture from 1 post-mortem pneumonia; 4 positive respiratory cultures (including 1 TTA). In 1 case, sputum yielded 10 6 C. jeikeium, > 10 7 S. aureus and 10 3 P. aeruginosa per ml; TTA culture yielded > 10 8 C. jeikeium , 10 4 P. aeruginosa , and 10 3 S. aureus ; FNA yielded pure growth of C. jeikeium 4 (80%) C. macginleyi [ 28 ] 1 73F Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, chemotherapy, intubated post-bronchoscopy Ventilator-associated pneumonia Sputum culture had 10 5 CFU/mL C. macginleyi 0 (0%) C. mucifaciens [ 26 ] 1 51M DM Cavitary pneumonia Not described 0 (0%) C. propinquum [ 14 , 48 ] 4 72F, 79M, 83M, 7F 2 DM, 1 non-Hodgkin’s MALT lymphoma, 2 Rheumatoid arthritis, 2 COPD, 1 ataxia telangiectasia on inhaled corticosteroids Pneumonia 3 sputum culture; 1 case with bronchial aspirate and broncho-alveolar lavage yielding only C. propinquum and blood culture positive for S. pneumoniae 0 (0%) C. pseudo-diphtheriticum [ 12 – 14 , 33 – 38 , 49 – 55 ] 40 91F, 40M, 79F, 70 M, 71M, 68M, 72M, 70F, 74M, 76F, 83M, 75M, 68M, 76M, 65M, 68F, 64M, 67M, 62M, 66M, 50F, 27F, 68F, 29M, 47M, 41M, 24M, 43M, 34M, 33M, 33M, 43M, 34M, 29M, 30M, 80F, 9F, 59M, 46M, 75M 2 CKD, 3 CHF, 10 COPD, 4 DM, 2 asthma, SLE, 1 Adult T-cell lymphotrophic virus Ab+, 1 tracheostomy, 2 lung cancers, 1 epidermoid carcinoma, 2 autoimmune disorder on steroid therapy, 2 intubations, 1 amyotrophic...…”

An Unusual Case (Metastatic-Like Lesion) of Septic Cerebral Embolus Caused by Corynebacterium mucifaciens in a Diabetic Patient

“…6 Most of the septic cerebral emboli are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, 6 therefore there is very less information about other strains of bacteria causing septic cerebral emboli. Djossou et al presented a case in which a diabetic patient developed a septic pulmonary emboli caused by the C mucifaciens, 2 and also there have been reports about C mucifaciens infections in immunocompromised patients as an opportunistic infection. C mucifaciens is known to be a normal flora of the skin, as well as sterile body fluids, but in recent years, it has been brought to attention that some strains of Corynebacterium can cause serious deadly infections.…”

“…Corynebacterium mucifaciens is known as normal flora of the skin and it can also be isolated from sterile body fluids, yet pathogenic strains of this bacteria have been identified in recent years and some cases of severe deadly infections caused by C mucifaciens have been reported. 1,2 This strain of Corynebacterium can be considered a human pathogen in immunocompromised patients; therefore, we find it necessary to investigate this bacteria in patients who have a defective immune system.…”