Background: Campylobacter fetus rarely causes gastrointestinal diseases but shows an affinity for the endovascular epithelium.
Methods: We describe a case of C. fetus bacteremia related to vascular prosthesis and pseudoaneurysm infection, with a review of the literature.
Results: A 67-year-old male was admitted with a history of fever, weakness and painful swelling of the groin. After unsuccessful treatment with ciprofloxacin, the patient was transferred to our hospital, where he had been previously treated for aortoiliac occlusive disease including a prosthetic aortobifemoral and popliteal bypass with polyester graft placement. An angiography showed a pseudoaneurysm in the groin and, therefore, repair of the pseudoaneurysm, removal of the prosthesis and biologic graft placement were performed. Blood cultures and tissue samples of the vascular prosthesis and pseudoaneurysm yielded C. fetus resistant to ciprofloxacin. The patient was treated with meropenem for four weeks, followed by amoxicillin-clavulanate for another two weeks after discharge. Eight previously published cases of C. fetus bacteremia due to infected cardiovascular prosthetic devices (prosthetic heart valves, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and a permanent pacemaker) were summarized in the review.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report of a C. fetus bacteremia related to post-surgical infection of a vascular prosthesis causing a pseudoaneurysm.
Keywords: Campylobacter fetus; bacteremia; infection; pseudoaneurysm; vascular prosthesis.