First Bacteremia Due to Corynebacterium gottingense in an Immunocompromised Child: A Case Report, 16S rDNA-Based Phylogenetic Analyses and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Corynebacterium gottingense is a Gram-positive bacillus that has not been reported as pathogenic in pediatric patients. Herein, a case of catheter-associated bloodstream infection by C. gottingense in a 13-year-old immunocompromised child with febrile neutropenia induced for osteosarcoma is reported. The species was identified by Sanger sequencing of the 16s rRNA sequence of the bacterial strain and was compared phylogenetically with published sequences. As suggested in the literature, the presented strain was multi-susceptible, particularly to amoxicillin. The patient was treated with piperacillin/tazobactam for seven days in the context of a urinary co-infection, resulting in resolution of fever within 48 h and then relaunched with oral amoxicillin for 3 days (for a total of 10 days of antibiotic therapy). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rDNA demonstrated the complexity of the genus Corynebacterium spp. but failed to demonstrate a direct benefit in predicting clinical outcome based on this single information.

Keywords: 16S rDNA sequencing; Corynebacterium gottingense; bacteremia; phylogenetic analysis; sepsis.

Figure 1

Colonies of Corynebacterium gottingense isolated on blood agar. Subcultured colonies (identified as “1”) could be considered as white (creamy) and were not hemolytic.

Figure 2

Phylogenetic analysis of Corynebacterium spp. identified. The sequences of isolated strains of human origin are shown in red and considered as pathogenic. The sequences of isolated strains of human origin are shown in green and considered as non-pathogenic. The sequences of isolated strains of environmental and/or non-human origin are shown in blue.