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Related Experiment Videos

Acute necrotizing bacterial tonsillitis with Clostridium perfringens.

J E Gerber1

  • 1Forensic Medical, Metropolitan Davidson County, Nashville, Tennessee 37210, USA.

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|June 8, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Clostridium perfringens rarely infects tonsils, but a case study revealed it caused acute necrotizing tonsillitis in an infant. This highlights the importance of examining tonsils for systemic Clostridium perfringens infections.

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Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Clostridium perfringens infections in young children are typically linked to meningitis, gastrointestinal issues, or post-surgical complications.
  • Literature searches indicate no prior documented cases of Clostridium perfringens infecting the tonsils.

Observation:

  • An otherwise healthy 9-month-old infant presented with unresponsiveness and was pronounced dead shortly after hospital admission.
  • Autopsy revealed shock and acute necrotizing bacterial tonsillitis, initially misdiagnosed as sudden infant death syndrome or smothering.

Findings:

  • Postmortem cultures of cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and lungs yielded pure Clostridium perfringens.
  • Microscopic examination of the tonsils showed numerous gram-positive rods consistent with Clostridium perfringens, despite no significant gross lesions.

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Implications:

  • This case suggests tonsillar infection by Clostridium perfringens can lead to fatal systemic illness in infants.
  • Sampling Waldeyer's ring tissues, particularly tonsils, is crucial for diagnosing systemic infectious diseases entering through the oropharynx.