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Updated: May 25, 2026
06:51
Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
Published on: December 10, 2016
Mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm caused by toxigenic Clostridium difficile
Vani Sathyendran1, Thomas V Riley, Sally A Roberts
1Department of Microbiology, LabPlus, Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand. sathyev@cmdhb.org.nz
Anaerobe
|February 7, 2012
Summary
Extra-intestinal Clostridium difficile infection is rare. This case highlights a mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm caused by C. difficile, successfully treated with surgery and antibiotics.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Surgery
- Microbiology
Background:
- Extra-intestinal infections caused by Clostridium difficile are uncommon.
- Clostridium difficile is typically associated with gastrointestinal infections.
Observation:
- A case of a mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm in an 86-year-old male is presented.
- Tissue and pus from the aneurysmal sac yielded a pure growth of Clostridium difficile.
Findings:
- The Clostridium difficile isolate was identified using phenotypic methods and confirmed via DNA sequencing.
- The patient underwent successful treatment involving aorta-bifemoral bypass surgery.
- A 4-week course of intravenous and oral antibiotics was administered post-surgery.
Implications:
- This case expands the spectrum of known extra-intestinal manifestations of Clostridium difficile.
- It underscores the importance of considering C. difficile in cases of mycotic aneurysms, particularly in the abdominal aorta.
- Successful management involves a combination of surgical intervention and targeted antibiotic therapy.
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