Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 4, 2025
Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
Published on: February 9, 2011
The role of Staphylococcus lugdunensis as a pathogen in children: a multicentre retrospective study
Noa Hurvitz1, Lea Ohana Sarna Cahan2, Itai Gross3
1Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre, Jerusalem, Israel.
Insights
Staphylococcus lugdunensis is increasingly recognized as a pathogen in children, particularly causing skin and soft tissue infections. This study also suggests its potential role in ear infections and bloodstream infections.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Staphylococcus lugdunensis (SL) is a coagulase-negative Staphylococcus known for causing infections in adults.
- Limited data exists on the role of SL in pediatric populations, with most previous studies being case reports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical features of Staphylococcus lugdunensis infections in children.
- To evaluate the role of Staphylococcus lugdunensis as a pathogen in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective multicenter study was conducted across four Israeli pediatric medical centers.
- Data from 40 patients with Staphylococcus lugdunensis isolates between 2009 and 2019 were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Skin, soft tissue, and musculoskeletal infections were most common (50%), followed by ear infections (32.5%).
- Staphylococcus lugdunensis was the sole pathogen in 75% of skin abscesses and 46% of otitis media cases.
- Two cases of bloodstream infections and five urine isolates were reported, with limited evidence for SL as an uropathogen.
Conclusions:
- Staphylococcus lugdunensis infections are increasingly observed in pediatric patients.
- SL is confirmed as a pathogen in pediatric soft tissue infections and shows a putative role in otitis media and invasive bloodstream infections.
- The role of Staphylococcus lugdunensis as a cause of urinary tract infections in children was not established in this study.
Abstract:
Introduction: Staphylococcus lugdunensis (SL), a tube coagulase negative Staphylococcus, is known to be pathogenic in adults, causing mainly skin infections.Gap Statement: Previous studies assessing SL's role in paediatric populations are sparse and are mainly limited to case reports.Aim: Present the clinical characteristics consistent with SL infections and its putative role as a pathogen in the paediatric population.Methodology: A retrospective multicentre study was conducted in four paediatric medical centres in Israel. Patients with isolates of SL presenting between 2009-2019 were included.Results: SL was isolated from 40 patients. Average (±SD) age at presentation was 5.9 (±6.2) years, with 22 (55 %) being female. Skin, soft tissue and musculoskeletal infections were the most common (n=20, 50%) followed by ear infections (n=13, 32.5%). Five cases of urine isolates and two isolates from blood culture samples were also reported. Skin abscess was the most common infection among skin and soft tissue isolates, reported in 17 children (85%) with SL being the only pathogen in 15 (75%). Otitis media was the most common ear infection accounting for 12 (92%) of all cases with SL as the only isolate reported in 6 (46%). Five cases of SL isolates from urine specimens were reported, all of which with poor growth of bacteria and normal urinalysis. Two cases of SL growth in blood culture were found in children presenting with signs and symptoms consistent with invasive blood stream infection.Conclusions: In the paediatric population, studied infections caused by SL are increasingly observed. The results of this study highlight its role as a pathogen in soft tissue infections and its putative role in otitis media and invasive blood stream infections. However, the role of SL as an uropathogen was not established.
