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Volume 17, Number 1—January 2011
Letter

Clostridium sphenoides Bloodstream Infection in Man

Theodoros KelesidisComments to Author  and Sotirios Tsiodras
Author affiliations: Author affiliations: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA (T. Kelesidis); University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece (S. Tsiodras)

Main Article

Table

Descriptions of cases of infection with Clostridium sphenoides*

Authors, year, and reference Country Patient age, y/ sex Underlying conditions/
risk factors Signs and symptoms Microbiologic findings Treatment Outcome
Sullivan et al., 1980 (2)
 Canada
 39/F
 None. Ate Chinese food 8 h before onset of symptoms
 Severe abdominal
cramps and diarrhea
 C. sphenoides isolated from stool culture. Susceptibility testing to antimicrobial drugs not reported
 No antimicrobial drugs given
 Spontaneous recovery within 96 h of onset of illness
Isenberg et al., 1975 (3)
 USA
 13/M
 None. Trauma at the area of osteomyelitis 1 y before diagnosis
 Osteomyelitis
 C. sphenoides isolated from bone culture. Sensitive to penicillins, cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines, macrolides; resistant to aminoglycosides, polymyxins
 Phenethicillin 2 g IV daily for 3 d, followed by 1 g IV daily for 3 mo
 Recovered. No evidence of disease clinically or radiologically after 3 y of follow up
Felitti, 1970 (4) USA 6/F Chronic neutropenia, lifelong history of recurrent attacks of otitis media, oral ulcers, periodontal abscesses, chronic gingivitis Fever, abdominal
cramps, occasional vomiting, peritonitis C. sphenoides isolated from the peritoneum. Blood cultures negative. Susceptibility testing to antimicrobial drugs not reported No antimicrobial drugs given Died

*IV, intravenously.

Main Article

References
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  2. Sullivan  SN, Darwish  RJ, Schieven  BC. Severe diarrhea due to Clostridium sphenoides: a case report. Can Med Assoc J. 1980;123:398.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Isenberg  HD, Lavine  LS, Painter  BG, Rubins  WH, Berkman  JI. Primary osteomyelitis due to an anaerobic microorganism. Am J Clin Pathol. 1975;64:385–8.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Felitti  VJ. Primary invasion by Clostridium sphenoides in a patient with periodic neutropenia. Calif Med. 1970;113:76–8.PubMedGoogle Scholar
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  8. Report of the Committee upon Anaerobic Bacteria and Infections. Medical Research Council Special Report Series, Great Britain,#39, 1919. http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924000323687/cu31924000323687_djvu.txt
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  10. Lindberg  RB. The bacterial flora of battle wounds at the time of the primary debridement. Ann Surg. 1955;141:369. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar

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