Microbiology and management of infected solid tumours

Abstract

Infection has been recognized as one of the major obstacles to the successful management of patients with malignant tumours. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria of endogenous source are a major cause of infections in the necrotic tumour, especially when they occur in proximity to a site where these bacteria reside as part of the normal flora. Although surgical removal or evacuation of the purulent fluid is preferred, this is not always feasible in a patient with a malignant tumour. Antimicrobial therapy against potential bacterial pathogens is often the sole therapy or is used along with surgical drainage or removal of the infected area. This review describes the microbiology and management of infection in necrotic tumours.

A case of Clostridium perfringens infection in uterine sarcoma

“…Clostridium perfringens is the most common species causing bacteriaemia in a cancer patient especially arising from gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract 1 . The insufficient blood supply of rapidly growing solid tumours provides the anaerobic environment needed for proliferation 2 . Clostridium perfringens is found in the vagina and cervix of 1–10% of healthy women 3 with cervico‐uterine instrumentation for diagnostic or therapeutic intervention, a leading cause of infection with this organism.…”