Dermacoccus sp. isolated from a brain abscess in a 4-year-old child.

Dermacoccus spp. have rarely been reported as human pathogens. We describe a case of a 4-year-old boy with congenital heart disease who was diagnosed with a brain abscess. The abscess was drained and the sample grew Streptococcus intermedius, Aggregatibacter aphrophilus and Dermacoccus sp.. Dermacoccus grew after 5 days of incubation and the patient was treated with meropenem.

Exceptional association of two species of bacteria causing mediastinitis: Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) and Aggregatibacter aphrophilus (A. aphrophilus).

BACKGROUND: Post cardiac surgery mediastinitis is the major infectious complication, despite the development of surgical techniques and the application of strict preventive measures. The Haemophilus influenzae mediastinitis is very rare. The mediastinitis caused by the association between Haemophilus influenzae and Aggregatibacter aphrophilus has never been described to our knowledge. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of an exceptional combination of Haemophilus influenzae and Aggregatibacter aphrophilus in a patient operated for single bypass which is complicated by mediastinitis the 10th day after the surgical act. CONCLUSION: The conclusion to be drawn from this work is to think in unusual seeds in case of mediastinitis post cardiac surgery for the elaboration of recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis.

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus Sacroiliitis Following Gastroscopy in a Young Sportsman.

We report a case of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus sacroiliitis in a young sportsman, presenting 48 hours after endoscopy and biopsy. Microbiological diagnosis was made only after repeated attempt at joint aspiration. The patient was cured after radiologically guided drainage and a prolonged course of directed antibiotics.

[Endocarditis of mitral and aortic prosthetic heart valves caused by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus]. / Le cas clinique du mois. Endocardite à Aggregatibacter aphrophilus sur prothèses valvulaires.

We present the case of an acute endocarditis of mitral and aortic prosthetic heart valves caused by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus (Haemophilus aphrophilus-paraphrophilus). This third report in the literature emphasizes the diagnostic work-up and the role of positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography in this setting. The specificities of endocarditis due to the HACEK group (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens and Kingella spp.) and the specific microbiological data and therapeutic options pertinent to this germ are discussed.

Nous rapportons la troisième observation clinique de la littérature d'une endocardite sur prothèses mécaniques mitrale et aortique due à l'Aggregatibacter aphrophilus (Haemophilus aphrophilus-paraphrophilus). Le pathogène récemment rebaptisé Aggregatibacter aphrophilus fait partie du groupe HACEK (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens and Kingella spp.) impliqué dans des endocardites valvulaires de diagnostic difficile. Cette histoire clinique est l'occasion d'une revue de la littérature et des spécificités de ce pathogène. Elle met en exergue la contribution de la tomographie à émission de positons combinée à une tomodensitométrie dans le diagnostic et le suivi. Elle démontre, avec un recul de plus de deux ans, l'efficacité du traitement médical dans certaines endocardites sur prothèse.

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus chronic lacrimal canaliculitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Chronic canaliculitis is often misdiagnosed as conjunctivitis, delaying proper documentation and management. Aggregatibacter aphrophillus has not been implicated in chronic canaliculitis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of unilateral chronic epiphora associated with chronic lacrimal canaliculitis resistant to prolonged topical antibiotic treatment in a 65-year-old woman without notable medical history. Canaculotomy, curettage with removal of concretions and tubing with silicone stent for six weeks resolved this chronic infection. Culturing lacrimal secretions and concretions yielded Aggregatibacter aphrophilus in pure culture. Histological analyses showed elongated seed clusters surrounded by neutrophils. Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization confirmed the presence of bacteria in two distinctive concretions. CONCLUSION: This first documented case of A. aphrophilus chronic lacrimal canaliculitis illustrates that optimal surgical management of chronic lacrimal canaliculitis allows for both accurate microbiological diagnosis and treatment.

Retroperitoneal, Psoas, and Scrotal Abscesses Due to an Uncommon Organism - Aggregatibacter aphrophilus: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is an uncommon cause of vertebral infections and its complications are infrequently seen. We believe ours is the first reported case of scrotal abscess as a complication of vertebral osteomyelitis. We have also reviewed nine cases with complications similar to this report. Epidural abscess is the most commonly found complication, having been reported in six patients, followed closely by psoas abscess, which was seen in five patients. All except one patient underwent surgical drainage, with all patients showing complete resolution of infection.

Clinical Case of the Month:A 54 Year-Old Woman With Fever and Chills of Four-Days Duration.

CASE REPORT: A 54 year-old woman with diabetes mellitus type two and end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis presented to the emergency department with a four day history of generalized malaise, fever, and chills. Her symptoms were also associated with occasional dyspnea without a cough. She reported intermittent chronic diarrhea with hemodialysis which was currently unchanged. On the day of admission, she could not tolerate hemodialysis due to her symptoms. Over the past year she admitted to night sweats and a 40 pound weight loss. She denied having palpitations, chest pain, hemoptysis, lymph node swelling, sick contacts, or recent travel. The remainder of the review of systems was negative.

Presumed Aggregatibacter aphrophilus endogenous endophthalmitis.

We hereby report a case of endogenous endophthalmitis, presumably caused by a rare culprit-Aggregatibacter aphrophilus. A. aphrophilus is a member of the HACEK group, a group of fastidious Gram-negative bacteria with low pathogenicity and a rare cause of human infections. For ophthalmic infection, it has been reported to cause canaliculitis and exogenous endophthalmitis. A middle-aged gentleman with good past health presented with decreased vision (20/200) in his left eye. Other than fever, he was well on presentation, with no apparent focus of infection. Subsequently, he developed an episode of high fever reaching 39.2 °C, with CRP of 233 mg/L. CT abdomen showed presumed kidney abscess and a rare Gram-negative coccobacillus. A. aphrophilus [formerly Haemophilus aphrophilus (Nørskov-lauritsen and Kilian in Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56:2135-2146, 2006)] was found in blood culture, Vitreous sample was analysed using 16S ribosomal DNA amplification but failed to identify the organism. After appropriate treatment, his vision improved drastically from 20/200 to 20/30. A. aphrophilus isolated from blood cultures during septicemia in a patient with kidney abscess may be associated with metastatic endophthalmitis, which may appear as a first sign. Our case demonstrates that with prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment, visual prognosis of A. aphrophilus endophthalmitis can be promising.

[A case of osteomyelitis caused by mixed infection by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus and Staphylococcus aureus].

A 46-year-old man presented with a 10-day history of progressive weakness and numbness in both his legs. The spinal MRI and abdominal CT revealed discitis of L4/L5 and multiple epidural abscesses. The blood culture tested positive for methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). The Gram stain of sample from abscess drainage showed Gram-positive cocci in clusters and small Gram-negative rods. The Gram-positive cocci in clusters were identified as MSSA using a general culture method and the small Gram-negative rods were identified as Aggregatibacter aphrophilus using a 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing method. The patient was treated four times with surgical abscess drainages and a long course of intravenous antibiotics therapy following which he recovered. No case of mixed infection by A. aphrophilus and S. aureus has been reported in MEDLINE; therefore, our case should be the first case report. Since we confirmed not only Gram-positive cocci in clusters but also Gram-negative rods in the abscess sample, we did not stop the identification procedure at the point when MSSA was identified and finally identified A. aphrophilus with 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing. Especially, in a mixed infection with organisms whose growth speed is different, an organism with slow growth might be missed if the Gram stain of sample were skipped. This case implies the significance of Gram staining as the identification procedure for organisms.

[Brain abscess due to Aggregatibacter aphrophilus]. / Absceso cerebral por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus.

Brain abscess is a focal suppurative process produced in most cases by bacterial agents. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is a gram-negative bacteria belonging to the HACEK group, which causes infective endocarditis, liver abscesses, among others. Brain abscesses secondary to this germ are rare and, in most cases, it is associated with contact with pets, poor dental hygiene or dental procedures. Treatment consists of drainage of the abscess (greater than 2.5 cm) combined with antibiotic therapy, ideally beta-lactams. The case of a 64-year-old male patient with no relevant history is here presented. He was admitted to the emergency service due to headache, hemianopsia of a week's duration and later tonic-clonic seizures, in whom imaging studies and culture of a brain lesion subsequently revealed a brain abscess due to A. aphrophilus. This case aims to illustrate about the rarity of this infection, because A. aphrophilus is a normal part of the oropharyngeal flora and respiratory tract, in which it rarely causes invasive bacteremia.

El absceso cerebral es un proceso supurativo focal producido en la mayoría de los casos por agentes bacterianos. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus es una bacteria gram negativa perteneciente al grupo HACEK, causante de endocarditis infecciosa, abscesos hepáticos, entre otras. Los abscesos cerebrales secundarios a este germen son infrecuentes y en la mayoría de los casos asociados a contactos con animales domésticos, pobre higiene dental o procedimientos odontológicos. El tratamiento consiste en drenaje del absceso (mayores de 2.5 cm) combinado con terapia antibiótica, idealmente betalactámicos. Se presenta el caso de un paciente varón de 64 años sin antecedentes de relevancia quien ingresó al servicio de emergencias por cuadro de cefalea, hemianopsias de una semana de evolución y posteriormente crisis tónico clónicas, en quien posteriormente en estudios imagenológicos y cultivo de lesión cerebral se arribó al diagnóstico de absceso cerebral por A. aphrophilus. Este informe tiene como objetivo ilustrar al lector sobre la rareza de esta infección, debido a que A. aphrophilus forma parte normal de la flora orofaríngea y del tracto respiratorio, en los que rara vez ocasiona bacteriemias invasivas.

[Septic arthritis byAggregatibacteraphrophilus: Case report] / Artritis séptica por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus.

Introduction: Septic arthritis by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is an uncommon entity, so it's important to diagnose it early, to avoid serious consequences. In adults, the knee is the most affected site. Methods: We present a case of a 17-year-old boy, with pain in the left knee since one month ago. It shows an increase in local temperature, erythema and movement inability. A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was performed and empirical treatment was given with cephalothin and clindamycin. A knee arthrotomy was realized, and intramedullary secretion and bone tissue was sent to study. Results: the NMR images were suggestive of an infectious process. In the culture gram-negative coccobacilli were isolated, later identified like as Aggregatibacter aphrophilus. According to this diagnostic, the treatment was changed to ceftriaxone The main conclusions: the rapidity and certainty in the choice of antimicrobial therapy is the most important step for a well evolution of this infection, therefore is very important to emphasize the importance of a correct identification of these rare microorganisms

Introducción: Aunque la artritis séptica es una entidad poco común, es importante debido a las graves consecuencias de un diagnóstico tardío o un incorrecto tratamiento. En adultos, la rodilla es el sitio más afectado. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un caso clínico de artritis séptica por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus en rodilla en un paciente joven, inmunocompetente, sin antecedentes patológicos. Materiales y métodos: Se estudia el caso de un joven de 17 años, tabaquista, con un cuadro de 1 mes de evolución caracterizado por gonalgia izquierda, aumento de la temperatura local, eritema e impotencia funcional. Se realizan análisis de sangre, una ecografía,y resonancia magnética (RMN).Se solicitan hemocultivos y cultivos de líquido intrarticular de rodilla. En la RMN se observa una lesión expansiva en la región femoral, sugestiva de un proceso infeccioso. Se comienza tratamiento empírico con cefalotina y clindamicina. Se realiza una artrotomia de rodilla enviándose para su estudio secreción endomedular, tejido óseo y endomedular. Resultados: Los hemocultivos y el cultivo del líquido intraarticular fueron negativos, pero los materiales obtenidos por técnica quirúrgica fueron positivos para el cultivo, aislándose cocobacilos gram negativos, posteriormente identificados como Aggregatibacter aphrophilus Se realizó el diagnóstico de artritis séptica por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus y se roto el tratamiento antimicrobiano a ceftriaxona. Conclusión: La rapidez y la certeza en la elección de la terapia antimicrobiana son un paso decisivo para la evolución de la enfermedad, por lo tanto se remarca la importancia de una correcta identificación de estos microorganismos poco frecuentes.

An unusual case of aggregatibacter aphrophilus liver abscess.

Liver abscess of oropharyngeal origin in an immunocompetent patient is a rare condition. Furthermore, microbiologic diagnosis of liver abscess can be challenging due to the tremendous diversity of the microorganisms implicated and culture difficulties under laboratory conditions. We report a case of a previously healthy 23-year-old male, who presented multiple liver abscesses, attributed to aggregatibacter aphrophilus, an obligatory oral gram-negative microorganism, that normally is a component of the commensal oral microbiota and non-virulent. The etiopathogenic microorganism was identified after needle aspiration of a liver abscess cavity. Treatment with broad-spectrum antimicrobials and percutaneous catheter drainage under computed tomography guidance of both abscesses, resulted in full recovery. A. aphrophilus represents a rare entity of liver abscess in healthy individuals and suggests that a pathogen of oropharyngeal origin should be suspected when an overt source of infection cannot be documented.

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus brain abscess secondary to primary tooth extraction: Case report and literature review.

We report on a rare case of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus brain abscess of odontogenic origin in a 6-year-old previously healthy boy, who had close contact with a pet dog. The poodle was the most likely source of the infecting organism, which subsequently colonized the patient's oral cavity. The abscess was surgically removed and he recovered completely after prolonged antibiotic treatment with meropenem. We also review the relevant medical literature on A. aphrophilus pediatric brain abscesses.

CT-Guided Biopsy in Suspected Spondylodiscitis--The Association of Paravertebral Inflammation with Microbial Pathogen Detection.

OBJECTIVES: To search for imaging characteristics distinguishing patients with successful from those with futile microbiological pathogen detection by CT-guided biopsy in suspected spondylodiscitis. METHODS: 34 consecutive patients with suspected spondylodiscitis underwent CT-guided biopsy for pathogen detection. MR-images were assessed for inflammatory infiltration of disks, adjacent vertebrae, epidural and paravertebral space. CT-images were reviewed for arrosion of adjacent end plates and reduced disk height. Biopsy samples were sent for microbiological examination in 34/34 patients, and for additional histological analysis in 28/34 patients. RESULTS: Paravertebral infiltration was present in all 10/10 patients with positive microbiology and occurred in only 12/24 patients with negative microbiology, resulting in a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 50% for pathogen detection. Despite its limited sensitivities, epidural infiltration and paravertebral abscesses showed considerably higher specificities of 83.3% and 90.9%, respectively. Paravertebral infiltration was more extensive in patients with positive as compared to negative microbiology (p = 0.002). Even though sensitivities for pathogen detection were also high in case of vertebral and disk infiltration, or end plate arrosion, specificities remained below 10%. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory infiltration of the paravertebral space indicated successful pathogen detection by CT-guided biopsy. Specificity was increased by the additional occurrence of epidural infiltration or paravertebral abscesses.

Brain abscess due to Aggregatibacter aphrophilus and Bacteroides uniformis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this report was to describe the occurrence of a bacterial brain abscess in a healthy individual, without any predisposing condition. CASE REPORT: A thirteen-year old boy was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery after the onset of vomiting, headache and dizziness. A neurological deficit was detected during the physical examination so urgent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed, revealing an intrahemispheric, right positioned solitary expansive mass with ring enhancement. Purulent material was obtained during osteoplastic craniotomy with total extirpation of the brain abscess. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus and Bacteroides uniformis were isolated. The patient's general condition improved and the neurological deficit subsided as a result of the prompt recognition and treatment of this life threatening condition. CONCLUSION: To achieve a favourable clinical outcome, prompt recognition and surgical treatment of a brain abscess are of primary importance,followed by administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of this combination of microorganisms as the cause of a brain abscess.

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus pacemaker endocarditis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Aggregatibacter bacteria are a rare cause of endocarditis in adults. They are part of a group of organisms known as HACEK--Haemophilus, Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacter, Eikenella, and Kingella. Among these organisms, several Haemophilus species have been reclassified under the genus Aggregatibacter. Very few cases of Aggregatibacter endocarditis in patients with pacemaker devices have been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We present here what we believe to be the first case of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus pacemaker endocarditis. A 62-year-old African American male with a medical history significant for dual-chamber pacemaker placement in 1996 for complete heart block with subsequent lead manipulation in 2007, presented to his primary care doctor with fever, chills, night sweats, fatigue, and ten-pound weight loss over a four-month period. Physical examination revealed a new murmur and jugular venous distension which prompted initiation of antibiotics for suspicion of endocarditis. Both sets of initial blood cultures were positive for A. aphrophilus. Transesophageal echocardiogram revealed vegetations on the tricuspid valve and the right ventricular pacemaker lead (Figure 1). This case highlights the importance of identifying rare causes of endocarditis and recognizing that treatment may not differ from the standard treatment for typical presentations. The patient received intravenous ceftriaxone for his endocarditis for a total of six weeks. Upon device removal, temporary jugular venous pacing wires were placed. After two weeks of antibiotic treatment and no clinical deterioration, a new permanent pacemaker was placed and the patient was discharged home. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case of A. aphrophilus endocarditis in a patient with a permanent pacemaker. Our patient had no obvious risk factors other than poor dentition and a history of repeated pacemaker lead manipulation. This suggests that valvulopathies secondary to repeated lead manipulation can be clinically significant factors in morbidity and mortality in this patient population.

HACEK-induced endocarditis.

A 61-year-old patient with diabetes had a bio-prosthetic aortic valve replacement 3 years before admission. He complained of lethargy, night sweats, decreased appetite and erratic blood glucose with no weight loss. He had splinter haemorrhage and a systolic ejection murmur at the aortic area. Chest and abdominal examination revealed no abnormality. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein were raised. He had several sets of blood cultures and he was started on empirical vancomycin, rifampicin and gentamicin. Transthoracic echocardiography showed vegetation on the base of the anterior mitral leaflet, which was confirmed by a trans-oesophageal echocardiography. Blood culture was positive for Haemophilus aphrophilus, and he was started on ceftriaxone for 6 weeks instead of vancomycin and rifampicin and continued gentamicin for 2 weeks. Follow-up echocardiography showed no evidence of vegetations. The patient recovered completely and he was discharged home.