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Leg ulcer due to Pseudomanas luteola in a patient with sickle cell disease

Athanassios Tsakris1, Helen Hassapopoulou, Lemonia Skoura

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. atsakris@med.auth.gr

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
|February 23, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Pseudomonas luteola rarely causes infections, often linked to medical devices. This study details a rare case of a leg ulcer in a sickle cell patient caused by a multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas luteola strain.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical microbiology
  • Infectious diseases
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Pseudomonas luteola is an uncommon pathogen in clinical settings.
  • Infections are typically associated with indwelling medical devices like catheters or prostheses.

Observation:

  • A patient with homozygous sickle cell disease presented with a deteriorating leg ulcer.
  • The ulcer culture revealed a significant infection.

Findings:

  • The causative agent was identified as a multiply antibiotic-resistant strain of Pseudomonas luteola.
  • This represents the first reported instance of P. luteola causing a leg ulcer in a sickle cell disease patient.

Implications:

  • Highlights the potential for P. luteola to cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals.
  • Underscores the need for vigilance in identifying and treating resistant bacterial infections in patients with underlying conditions like sickle cell disease.
  • Informs clinical management strategies for complex wound infections in vulnerable patient populations.

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