Bacteremia due to Clostridium difficile--review of the literature

Abstract

Extracolonic Clostridium difficile infections have been infrequently reported. Extracolonic manifestations of C. difficile include bacteremia, intra-abdominal abscess, osteomyelitis, visceral abscess, empyema, reactive arthritis, and small bowel disease with formation of pseudomembranes on ileal mucosa. Most cases of extracolonic C. difficile have been preceded by gastrointestinal disease, either C. difficile colitis or surgical and anatomical disruption of the colon. Bacteremia due to C. difficile has previously been described in 14 patients with underlying gastrointestinal processes. We report a unique case of monomicrobial C. difficile bacteremia in a young woman with an underlying hematologic malignancy. The patient lacked gastrointestinal symptoms or radiologic findings suggestive of colitis or ongoing gastrointestinal pathology.