[Septicemia due to an unusual micro-organism: Actinobacillus actinomycetum comitans (author's transl)]

A new case of septicemia (without endocarditis) due to Actinobacillus actinomycetum comitans is described. The patient was a 59-year-old man with an intraventricular pacemaker. He was successfully treated by a combination of gentamicin and ampicillin. Human infections due to this demanding and slow-growing micro-organism, which is not related to actinomycosis, are only exceptionally reported. In 73% of the cases the endocarditis is subacute. The study of the literature demonstrates the prevalence of male patients and the usual absence of leukocytosis.