Anaerobic septicemia secondary to Fusobacterium mortiferum

A case of anaerobic sepsis associated with Fusobacterium mortiferum is reported. Blood cultures from a 60-year-old man with type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and renal insufficiency revealed on a gramstained smear highly pleomorphic gram-negative bacilli with bizarre forms and round bodies. Growth of the organism on nonselective anaerobic media and analysis of its pattern produced results characteristic of Fusobacterium mortiferum.