Septicemia caused by Capnocytophaga in a granulocytopenic patient with glossitis

Abstract

A patient receiving immunosuppressive treatment for multiple myeloma became granulocytopenic, and acute glossitis developed. Blood cultures were positive for Capnocytophaga, a fastidious Gram-negative bacillus that is known to be part of the normal oral flora and a pathogen for periodontitis. The infection responded to treatment with antibiotics, including penicillin G, to which the organism was sensitive. This is one of the first reports of Capnocytophaga septicemia, and suggests that this organism may be an important pathogen in immunosuppressed patients with oral mucosal lesions.