Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, branching bacillus. The first cases ascribed to this pathogen were described in 1946 and caused ulcerative skin lesions among American soldiers in the Pacific Islands. Today, infections by A. haemolyticum are rare but most commonly cause pharyngitis in adolescents and young adults or skin and soft-tissue infections in immunocompromised populations.
Though cases of systemic infections such as meningitis or bacteremia are uncommon, A. haemolyticum should remain on the differential to enable the early recognition, management, and treatment of disease associated with the pathogen.
The classic presentation of pharyngeal disease may commonly be mistaken for streptococcal infections. Patients present with a sore throat, pharyngeal erythema, fever, exanthema, and swollen lymph nodes. The natural history of the disease may be self-limiting or require antibiotic treatment.
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