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Case report: acute cellulitis and lymphadenitis caused by mucoid Streptococcus pyogenes
L M Baddour1, J H Eason, P A Lunde
1Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville, 37920-6999, USA.
The American Journal of the Medical Sciences
|July 1, 1996
Summary
A rare mucoid Streptococcus pyogenes strain caused cellulitis treatment failure in a previously healthy woman. This unusual phenotype may explain resistance to standard antibiotic therapy, highlighting the need for further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Acute cellulitis commonly presents with fever and systemic toxicity.
- Streptococcus pyogenes is a frequent cause of cellulitis.
- Most patients respond well to antibiotic treatment.
Observation:
- A 48-year-old woman with cellulitis and lymphadenitis showed no initial response to antibiotics.
- Her S. pyogenes isolate exhibited a mucoid colony phenotype on blood agar.
- In vitro tests confirmed antibiotic activity against the S. pyogenes isolate.
Findings:
- The mucoid phenotype of the S. pyogenes strain is a potential factor in treatment non-response.
- This contrasts with typical S. pyogenes infections that resolve with prompt antibiotic therapy.
Implications:
- Mucoid bacterial phenotypes may present challenges in treating common infections like cellulitis.
- Further research is needed to understand the clinical significance of mucoid S. pyogenes.
- This case underscores the importance of considering atypical bacterial characteristics in treatment failures.