Carcinoma of the colon presenting as Streptococcus sanguis bacteremia

Bacteremia by streptococci that normally inhabit the gastrointestinal tract has been associated with colon carcinoma. Such association is best known for Streptococcus bovis, but has also been reported for other streptococci. In the present communication a patient is described who presented with Streptococcus sanguis bacteremia and was subsequently found to suffer from an adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid. A possible association between bacteremia by commensal streptococci of both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and colon carcinoma is discussed.