Corynebacterium minutissimum vascular graft infection: case report and review of 281 cases of prosthetic device-related Corynebacterium infection

Abstract

Corynebacterium spp. have proven their pathogenic potential in causing infections, particularly in the setting of immunosuppression and prosthetic devices. We conducted a PubMed literature review of all cases of Corynebacterium prosthetic device infections published in the English language through December 2013. The majority of cases involved peritoneal dialysis and central venous catheters, but prosthetic joints and central nervous system shunts/drains were also involved. The management of these cases in terms of retention or removal of the device was not uniform; however, the overall mortality remained the same among both groups. All of these prosthetic device infections pose potential problems in management when the device cannot be removed safely for the patient, especially with the lack of data on the pathogenicity of Corynebacterium species. However with better identification of species and sensitivities, successful treatment is possible even with retention of the device.

Keywords: Corynebacterium; infections; prosthetic; vascular graft.