Capnocytophaga bacteremia in a patient with Hodgkin's disease following bone marrow transplantation: case report and review

Abstract

Capnocytophaga is a gram-negative, capnophilic, facultatively anaerobic bacillus that normally inhabits the oral cavity. We report the case of a patient who developed capnocytophaga bacteremia following autologous bone marrow transplantation for Hodgkin's disease, and we review other reported cases of capnocytophaga bacteremia in immunocompromised patients. In our case infection followed pretransplantation conditioning and was associated with severe oral mucositis and neutropenia. Antibiotic therapy resulted in clinical resolution of infection. Capnocytophaga bacteremia should be included in the differential diagnosis of febrile neutropenia in immunocompromised patients (e.g., those undergoing bone marrow transplantation) especially in the presence of mucositis and gingival bleeding.