A "Kelp-Like" Microorganism Within the Belly

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 67; no. 9; pp. 1463 - 1466
• Main Authors: De Kyvon, Marie-Alix, Carvalho-Schneider, Claudia, Lemaignen, Adrien, Dussart, David, Barbaz, Mathilde, Barbe, Pierre-Guillaume, Lanotte, Philippe, Bernard, Louis, Bailly, Éric, Chandenier, Jacques, Desoubeaux, Guillaume
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 15.10.2018; Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Subjects: Human health and pathology; Infectious diseases; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Mycology; Parasitology
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy112

A 50-year-old woman suffering from paranoid schizophrenia with carelessness symptom was referred on day 0 for peritoni-tis caused by a perforated gastro-duodenal ulcer. In her recent medical history, anorexia, constipation, and impairment of general health condition were reported. A biological inflam-matory syndrome was noticed at admission, with C-reactive protein of 320.1 mg/L, procalcitonin of 216.68 µg/L, and polymorphonuclear neutrophil count of 16.4 × 10 9 /L. To note, blood calcium, total serum protein, and hemoglobin were low at 1.77 mmol/L, 40 g/L (including 16 g/L for albumin), and 81 g/L, respectively. Several intraperitoneal abscesses were detected by computed tomography on day 3 (Figure 1). Abscess aspirate showed a moderately inflammatory liquid with no malignant cells (day 4). On the third day following Figure 1. Medical imaging of abdomen. Noncontrast computed tomography scan showed 3 large abscesses within the peritoneum on day 3 (abscesses' sizes = 29.3 × 15.4 mm, 28.4 × 15.2 mm, and 82.2 × 47.1 mm). Figure 2. Microbiological findings from the abscess aspirate. A, After 6 days of culture, creamy, pale (instead of "whitish"), yeast-like colonies with flat rough texture. B, Microscopic observation of positive culture through fresh mounting (magnification ×400). C, Microscopic observation of positive culture according to calcofluor method (magnification ×400).