C. difficile Infection Complicated by a Large Pleural Effusion

Clostridiodes difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming obligate anaerobe bacillus found in the intestines of healthy individuals without signs of disease. It may cause diarrhea after antibiotic use due to the eradication of the normal gut flora. Most cases resolve with proper treatment, but complications may arise. This case report is about a hospitalized patient who acquired a C. difficile infection after taking ceftriaxone, vancomycin, and linezolid for a cellulitis infection. During his hospitalization, the patient developed dyspnea with decreased breath sounds in the right lower lung lobe. A large pleural effusion in the right lung was observed on imaging, and analysis of the pleural fluid after thoracentesis revealed an exudative pleural effusion likely resulting from the C. difficile infection. The possible physiopathological mechanisms of pleural effusion in the setting of C. difficile infection are discussed.