Fulminant Necrotizing Soft-tissue Infection in an Extremely Low Gestational Age Infant.

We report a case of rapidly progressive necrotizing skin and soft-tissue infection caused by Bacillus cereus in an extremely low for gestational age infant. This case reminds clinicians to consider this opportunistic pathogen as the etiologic agent in fulminant necrotizing infections in vulnerable hosts, and to institute appropriate therapy in a timely fashion.

Potential role of Demodex mites and bacteria in the induction of rosacea.

Rosacea is a common dermatological condition that predominantly affects the central regions of the face. Rosacea affects up to 3 % of the world's population and a number of subtypes are recognized. Rosacea can be treated with a variety of antibiotics (e.g. tetracycline or metronidazole) yet no role for bacteria or microbes in its aetiology has been conclusively established. The density of Demodex mites in the skin of rosacea patients is higher than in controls, suggesting a possible role for these mites in the induction of this condition. In addition, Bacillus oleronius, known to be sensitive to the antibiotics used to treat rosacea, has been isolated from a Demodex mite from a patient with papulopustular rosacea and a potential role for this bacterium in the induction of rosacea has been proposed. Staphylococcus epidermidis has been isolated predominantly from the pustules of rosacea patients but not from unaffected skin and may be transported around the face by Demodex mites. These findings raise the possibility that rosacea is fundamentally a bacterial disease resulting from the over-proliferation of Demodex mites living in skin damaged as a result of adverse weathering, age or the production of sebum with an altered fatty acid content. This review surveys the literature relating to the role of Demodex mites and their associated bacteria in the induction and persistence of rosacea and highlights possible therapeutic options.

[Bacillus cereus sepsis and subarachnoid hemorrhage following consolidation chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia].

A 64-year-old man with acute myelogenous leukemia (FAB classification, M7) in remission received consolidation chemotherapy with mitoxantrone/cytosine arabinoside. WBC counts decreased to 0/microl on day 14, and fever (39.3 degrees C) and epigastralgia developed on day 15. Cefozopran was instituted for febrile neutropenia; however, on day 16, he was found to be in cardiac arrest. CT scan on day 16 revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage. Gram-positive rods were isolated from blood cultures on day 15, and were later identified as B.cereus. He recovered transiently, but eventually died on day 19. Postmortem examination demonstrated many colonies of B. cereus in the cerebrum, cerebellum, lung, and liver. Hepatocyte necrosis was also observed in the liver. Bacterial aneurysms or septic emboli were not identified in the arachnoid vessels, but necrosis of cerebral vessels was prominent, which was considered to be the cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage has been reported to be associated with B. cereus sepsis, which developed at nadir following chemotherapy for leukemia patients. Because of the aggressive clinical course of B. cereus sepsis, including the risk for subarachnoid hemorrhage, early treatment with effective antibiotics for B. cereus sepsis would be important in the management of leukemia patients after chemotherapy.

A patient with acute myeloid leukemia who developed fatal pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Bacillus cereus.

Bacillus cereus is known as a serious bacterial pathogen in neutropenic patients. B. cereus is often resistant to beta-lactams, including penicillins and cephalosporins. We report a case of fatal pneumonia caused by B. cereus in a patient with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during remission induction therapy. Cefepime was started for febrile neutropenia (FN) initially and was switched to panipem/betamipron, when fulminant pneumonia supervened. The isolated strain was resistant not only to cefepime but also to panipenem/betamipron. This is the first report of fulminant infection caused by carbapenem-resistant B. cereus in a neutropenic patient. B. cereus should be kept in mind as a target of empirical treatment when neutropenic patients develop pneumonia.

Bacillus circulans paracardiac infection in non-hodgkin lymphoma--a case report.

A case report is presented concerning Bacillus circulans paracardiac infection in a 27 year old woman with non-hodgkin lymphoma.

Successful non-surgical treatment of brain abscess and necrotizing fasciitis caused by Bacillus cereus.

Musculoskeletal and central nervous system infections caused by Bacillus cereus are very rare. Only a few cases have been reported, whose clinical courses strongly suggested that surgical procedures combined with appropriate antimicrobial therapy are necessary to cure these infections. A 60-year-old man with severe neutropenia due to myelodysplastic syndrome, developing necrotizing fasciitis and brain abscess caused by Bacillus cereus is reported. Without performing any surgical procedures, the patient was successfully treated with systemic antimicrobial therapy combined with granulocyte colony stimulating factor, which contributed to the increase in the neutrophil count.

Fatal Bacillus cereus meningoencephalitis in an adult with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Bacillus cereus, a ubiquitous, endospore-forming, aerobic gram-positive bacillus, is primarily associated with toxin-mediated food poisoning. Frequently, isolates of Bacillus species from clinical specimens are discussed as contaminants. We report a rapidly fatal case of disseminated infection due to B cereus in a patient receiving induction chemotherapy for M0 acute leukemia. A short clinical syndrome of nausea and vomiting preceded neurologic symptoms. Autopsy showed extensive meningoencephalitis with subarachnoid hemorrhage and multiple liver abscesses. Areas of necrosis were devoid of any inflammatory response consistent with a severely immunocompromised state. The organism was isolated from immediate premortem and autopsy blood specimens. This case illustrates the possibility and severity of true B cereus infections in immunocompromised patients, the clinicopathologic features of which are as yet not well defined.

[Two cases of acute myelogenous leukemia with Bacillus cereus bacteremia resulting in fatal intracranial hemorrhage].

This manuscript reports Bacillus cereus sepsis in two cases with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who suffered complications of fatal intracranial hemorrhage during remission induction therapy. The first case was 43-year-old male with AML (M0) receiving first consolidation chemotherapy who developed sudden diarrhea, abdominal pain and spiking fever. Two days later, he died of intracranial hemorrhage. The second case was 15-year-old male with AML (M5b) who was receiving first induction chemotherapy. He developed headache and vomiting following spiking fever and diarrhea. He died of subarachnoid hemorrhage the next day. In both cases, Bacillus cereus was isolated from blood culture. Fatal intracranial hemorrhage due to severe bleeding tendency caused rapid to death in both cases. These bleeding tendencies might have been induced by B. cereus sepsis. In addition, we should not overlook B. cereus as contamination, but rather consider it as a potential pathogen, when isolated from blood culture.