[Infections by Arcanobacterium haemolyticum: an emerging pathogen]

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a grampositive rod wich belonged, until a short time ago, to Corynebacterium genus, and recently classified in a new genus, with only one specie. Human is the main reservoir. It has been isolated from the skin and pharinx of healthy individuals, but also it is cause of infection, specially pharingitis, in children, and chronic cutaneous ulcus, in diabetic patients. Less frequently, it is cause of osteomyelitis, meningitis, pneumonia, abscess, endocarditis and sepsis. Diagnosis is difficult because its double quality: comensal and pathogen. There are not established guidelines for the treatment of these infections, although most of isolated strains are susceptibles to penicillin, erythromicin, clindamycin and tetracycline. High doses of penicillin, with or without gentamicin, it is recommended for the treatment of deep infections.