Multiple Prostatic Abscesses Caused by Staphylococcus aureus Without Physical Findings in an Immunosuppressed Older...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Internal Medicine
• Urology

Background:

• Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen causing tissue-destructive infections and bacteremia with high mortality.
• Prostatic abscesses are rare complications of acute bacterial prostatitis, often secondary to S. aureus bacteremia from a distant focus.
• Diagnosing S. aureus bacteremia presenting as a prostatic abscess can be challenging due to vague initial symptoms.

Observation:

• A case report of a 72-year-old male with diabetes presenting with prostate and perifemoral abscesses.
• The patient exhibited multiple vague symptoms, initially obscuring the underlying methicillin-susceptible S. aureus bacteremia.
• No specific physical findings pointed directly to the source of infection, complicating diagnosis.

Findings:

• Diagnosis of S. aureus bacteremia was established despite the absence of specific physical findings.
• The patient developed both prostatic and perifemoral abscesses secondary to the bacteremia.
• Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus was identified as the causative agent in this immunocompromised patient.

Implications:

• Comprehensive evaluation of vague symptoms is crucial, especially in immunocompromised individuals, to detect occult bacteremia and deep-seated abscesses.
• Physicians, particularly general practitioners, need to consider systemic infections and deep abscesses in older patients with multiple, non-specific complaints.
• Increased vigilance for S. aureus bacteremia and its rare complications like prostatic abscesses is warranted, even in the absence of classic signs.