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Helicobacter cinaedi bacteraemia: varied clinical manifestations in three homosexual males
1Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Fairfield Hospital, Australia.
Insights
Three cases of Helicobacter cinaedi bacteraemia highlight its broad clinical spectrum in diverse patients, including those with AIDS and renal failure. Early diagnosis is crucial for managing this unusual infection.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Bacteriology
Background:
- Helicobacter cinaedi is a fastidious bacterium that can cause bloodstream infections.
- Bacteraemia due to H. cinaedi is uncommon and often presents with non-specific symptoms.
Observation:
- A case series of three patients with H. cinaedi bacteraemia is presented.
- Patients included an individual with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), an HIV-negative man with end-stage renal failure on hemodialysis, and an HIV-negative man undergoing chemotherapy.
- Clinical presentations ranged from relapsing bacteraemia to cellulitis and transient bacteraemia.
Findings:
- H. cinaedi bacteraemia can occur in immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals.
- The clinical manifestations of H. cinaedi infection are diverse and lack specific features.
- Relapsing bacteraemia occurred despite antibiotic therapy in one patient.
Implications:
- This case series broadens the understanding of the clinical spectrum of H. cinaedi infections.
- The findings emphasize the importance of considering H. cinaedi in the differential diagnosis of bacteraemia, especially in at-risk populations.
- Successful recovery of this organism from blood cultures is vital for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Abstract:
We report 3 cases of Helicobacter cinaedi bacteraemia in different hosts representing a spectrum of clinical illness associated with this infection. The first was an AIDS patient with relapsing H. cinaedi bacteraemia despite antibiotic treatment. The second was an HIV seronegative homosexual man with end-stage renal failure, receiving haemodialysis and a previous history of chronic lymphoedema of his legs. He developed H. cinaedi bacteraemia with cellulitis of his left leg. Patient 3, an HIV seronegative homosexual man, had transient H. cinaedi bacteraemia 2 days after the completion of a course of chemotherapy for bilateral testicular carcinoma. The clinical spectrum of disease associated with H. cinaedi is broad, with few specific clinical features. Successful recovery of this fastidious organism from blood aids in the diagnosis of this unusual infection.