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Volume 3, Number 1—March 1997
Dispatch

Exudative Pharyngitis Possibly Due to Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum, a New Challenge in The Differential Diagnosis of Diphtheria

Hector S. Izurieta*, Peter M. Strebel*, Thomas Youngblood†, Dannie G. Hollis*, and Tanja Popovic*
Author affiliations: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; †Rogers Pediatric Clinic, Rogers, Arkansas, USA

Main Article

Table

Reported cases of infection with Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum

Ref. Year# Age Sex Infection site Underlying condition(s) Treatment Outcome
4 1932 11 F Natural heart valve Rheumatic heart disease Antimeningococcic serum Died
5 1948 26 M Natural heart valve Rheumatic heart disease Penicillin Cured
10 1960 - - Natural heart valve Endocarditis Penicillin -
11 1965 11 M Natural heart valve Congenital heart disease Penicillin Cured
15 1966 48 M Natural heart valve Chronic dialysis Polymyxin B, nafcillin chloromycetin Died
12 1967 56 M Prosthetic valve Prosthetic valve Penicillin, streptomycin Died
12 1967 47 M Prosthetic valve Prosthetic valve Penicillin, streptomycin Died
6* 1969 14 M Pulmonary allograft Incompetent mitral valve Penicillin Died
7 1970 - - Natural heart valve Rheumatic heart disease Penicillin -
14 1971 33 M Prosthetic valve Prosthetic valve - Died
13 1972 49 F Prosthetic valve Prosthetic valve Cephaloridine, gentamicin Cured
6* 1981 69 M Prosthetic valve Arctic Stenosis Vancomycin Died
8 1982 46 M Natural heart valve Rheumatic heart disease, intravenous drug abuse Nafcillin, gentamicin Died
33 1982 30 F Kidney Immunosuppression after renal transplantation Metronidazole, flucloxacillin Cured
26* 1982 80 M Lungs Chronic bronchitis Fosfomycin Died
18 1983 30 M Lungs@ Immunosuppression in systemic lupus erythematosus Ampicillin, gentamicin Cured
26* 1985 25 F Lungs Chronic bronchitis Erythromycin, norfloxacin Cured
26* 1986 58 M Lungs Chronic bronchitis Oral cephem (CS-807) Cured
26* 1986 62 F Lungs Bronchitis Ticarcillin Cured
26* 1986 24 F Lungs Bronchiectasis Sultamicillin Cured
26* 1986 78 M Lungs Primary lung cancer Norfloxacin Cured
23 1986 24 M Lungs AIDS Clindamycin Cured
19 1986 29 - Lungs@ Severe trauma, pneumothorax, endotracheal intubation Moxalactam, tobramycin Cured
6* 1986 57 M Prosthetic valve Aortic incompetence Penicillin, gentamicin Cured
16 1986 71 M Natural heart valve Mitral valve disease Penicillin, tobramycin Cured
17 1987 23 M Prosthetic valve Prosthetic valve Penicillin, gentamicin vancomycin Cured
34 1987 63 F Skin Squamous cell carcinoma Topical wound care Cured
6* 1989 10 F Aortic allograft, teflon patch (septum) Tetralogy of Fallot Penicillin, gentamicin Cured
22 1989 70 M Lungs@ Anthracosilicosis endotracheal intubation Cefuroxime, netilmicin, penicillin Cured
6* 1990 82 M Natural heart valve Calcified heart valves Penicillin Cured
30 1991 63 M Trachea, bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (prednisone user) Vancomycin, clindamycin Cured
32 1991 54 M Trachea Diabetes mellitus, endotracheal intubation Penicillin, erythromycin Cured
20 1991 6 M Lungs Leukemia chemotherapy Cefotaxime Died
31 1991 68 M Lungs@ Permanent tracheostomy, pleural calcification Gentamicin, vancomycin oxacillin Cured
24 1992 43 M Lungs@ AIDS Vancomycin Cured
24 1992 34 M Lungs@ AIDS Vancomycin Cured
25 1992 64 M Lungs@ Lymphoma (steroid user) CZON Cured
25 1992 62 F Lungs@ Polymyositis (steroid user) PIPC/CAZ Cured
25 1992 84 M Lungs Pulmonary emphysema IPM/CS Cured
25 1992 79 M Lungs Chronic pulmonary disease OFLX Cured
9 1992 82 M Natural heart valve Aortic regurgitation Penicillin, gentamicin Died
27* 1992 55 F Lungs Metastatic renal carcinoma None Died
27* 1992 61 F Lungs Radiotherapy, subglottic tumor Doxycycline Cured
27* 1992 61 M Lungs Squamous cell carcinoma of the neck None -
27* 1992 81 F Lungs Dementia Erythromycin Cured
27* 1992 75 M Lungs Cardiorespiratory failure None Died
27* 1992 59 M Lungs Metastatic prostatic carcinoma Amoxycillin Cured
27* 1992 73 M Lungs Radiotherapy, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Amoxycillin-clavulanate Died
21 1993 33 M Lungs@ AIDS Cefotaxime, erythromycinpenicillin Cured
28* 1995 71 F Bronchi Congestive heart failure Cefazolin Cured
28* 1995 91 F Lungs@ Angina, chronic renal failure Cefazolin, tobramycin Died
28* 1995 40 M Lungs@ None Penicillin Cured
28* 1995 91 F Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Cured
28* 1995 68 M Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Ceftriaxone/cefaclor Cured
28* 1995 42 M Bronchi Multiple sclerosis Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Cured
28* 1995 42 F Bronchi None Oral cephalosporin Cured
28* 1995 79 F Lungs@ Congestive heart failure Erythromycin, cefazolin Cured
28* 1995 93 F Bronchi Congestive heart failure Cefazolin, cephalexin Cured
28* 1995 70 M Lungs@ Congestive heart failure Ceftriaxone, tobramycin erythromycin Cured
28* 1995 60 F Bronchi Cancer (ovary) Cefazolin Cured
28* 1995 76 M Bronchi Congestive heart failure Ceftriaxone Died
28* 1995 69 M Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Ceftriaxone Cured
28* 1995 78 F Bronchi Metastatic cancer None Died
28* 1995 58 M Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Cured
28* 1995 55 F Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Erythromycin Cured
28* 1995 71 M Lungs@ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Cured
29* 1995 75 M Bronchi Tuberculosis (healed) Piperacillin, tazobactam Cured
29* 1995 77 M Bronchi Tuberculosis (healed) Pazufloxacin Cured
29*† 1995 70 M Bronchi Cardiovascular accident Azithromycin Cured
29* 1995 68 M Lungs@ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Piperazillin, cefotiam ceftazidime Died
29*‡ 1995 72 M Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, systemic lupus erythematosus Meropenem Cured
29*‡ 1995 72 M Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, systemic lupus erythematosus Cefpirome Cured
29*‡ 1995 72 M Lungs@ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, systemic lupus erythematosus Cefcamate, pivoxil Died
29* 1995 28 F Bronchi Ventricular septal defect, pulmonary hypertension Ciprofloxacin Cured
29* 1995 70 M Bronchi Polyarteritis nodosa, interstitial pneumonitis Cefetamet, pivoxil Cured
29* 1995 44 M Bronchi Chronic sinusitis Bacampicillin Cured
29* 1995 58 M Bronchi Tuberculosis, sinusitis Cefpodoxime Cured
29* 1995 70 F Lungs@ None determined Piperacillin Cured
29* 1995 24 F Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Ampicillin-sulbactam Cured
29* 1995 66 F Bronchi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease FK-037 Cured
29* 1995 43 M Bronchi Heart failure FK-037 Cured
29*† 1995 71 M Bronchi Cardiovascular accident CP-70.429 Cured
35 1995 69 F Vertebra Spondylolisthesis, nasal turbinate surgery Ampicillin, flucloxacillin Cured

# If year of onset was not available the year of publication was used instead
* Retrospective case reviews
† These 2 cases involved the same patient
‡ These 3 cases involved the same patient
@ Diagnosed as pneumonia

Main Article

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