Cutaneous infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum: a microbiological report

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2008 Jan-Feb;50(1):51-2. doi: 10.1590/s0036-46652008000100011.

Abstract

We report here a rare case of cutaneous infection due to Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum. The patient presented to the clinical laboratory with a skin ulcer on his left leg. Gram-stained preparation of the purulent secretion revealed the presence of numerous rod-shaped Gram-positive organisms in the absence of any other species. The organism was grown in pure culture on sheep blood agar and was further identified as C. pseudodiphtheriticum using a commercial identification system (API-Coryne, BioMérieux, France). The infection was successfully treated with ciprofloxacin. This case emphasizes the importance of the clinical microbiology laboratory in correctly identifying Gram-positive organisms obtained in pure culture from skin ulcers.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Ciprofloxacin / therapeutic use
  • Corynebacterium / classification
  • Corynebacterium / isolation & purification*
  • Corynebacterium Infections / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Male
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / diagnosis
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / drug therapy
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / microbiology*
  • Skin Ulcer / diagnosis
  • Skin Ulcer / drug therapy
  • Skin Ulcer / microbiology*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Ciprofloxacin