Reduced tissue perfusion leading to tissue ischemia is a central component of the pathogenesis of myonecrosis caused by Clostridium perfringens. The C. perfringens alpha-toxin has been shown capable of inducing these changes, but its potential synergy with perfringolysin O (theta-toxin) is less well understood. Similarly, Clostridium septicum is a highly virulent causative agent of spontaneous ...

Gas gangrene is a potentially fatal disease that is primarily caused by the ubiquitous, anaerobic bacteria Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium septicum. Treatment is limited to antibiotic therapy, debridement of the infected tissue, and, in severe cases, amputation. The need for new treatment approaches is compelling. Opioid-based analgesics such as buprenorphine and morphine also have immu...

A 74-year old woman sought medical attention for general symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and back pain. A computed tomographic scan showed gas in the wall of the descending thoracic and suprarenal aortas. Emergency thoracoabdominal exploration revealed a necrotizing infection of the thoracic aorta extending to the origin of the celiac axis. After surgery Clostridium septicum was identified in tis...

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) and Clostridium septicum myonecrosis is an uncommon and life-threatening association requiring urgent combined aggressive medical and surgical management. We report 2 cases of SCN (1 with known Kostmann's syndrome and 1 not known at presentation to have a congenital neutropenic disorder but subsequently received a diagnosis of cyclic neutropenia) who presente...

Three cases of neutropenic enterocolitis are described. This unusual condition occurs almost exclusively in neutropenic patients and has a fulminating course which is almost invariably fatal without surgical intervention. The lesion is centered on the caecum and hitherto its pathogenesis has been unclear, partly because most studies have been performed on material obtained at necropsy. In these...

Mucormycosis is a disease caused by a fungus from the Phycomycetes class and the Mucorales order. Phycomycetes are ubiquitous fungi occurring in soil, air, skin, body orifices, manure, and food. They are commonly seen in diabetics, particularly in patients with ketoacidosis.'" Numerous other predisposing conditions have been reported.2 36 Gas gangrene refers to a necrotising infection of the so...

We report the case of a 78-year-old female who was found to have a mycotic thoracic aortic arch aneurysm caused by Clostridium septicum. Subsequent investigations demonstrated adenocarcinoma of the caecum with two liver metastases. The patient underwent a hybrid procedure involving endovascular repair of the aneurysm with a right-to-left carotid crossover bypass and a left carotid to left subcl...

A review was performed to determine the epidemiology and outcomes of clostridial bacteremia (CB) at our institution. Ninety-two percent of patients had monomicrobial CB. Patients with Clostridium innocuum bacteremia had a significantly higher 2-day mortality rate compared to patients with C. septicum and C. perfringens. CB is associated with high and rapid mortality, especially in patients with...

Gastroenterology Medicine & Research An Immunosuppression Hidden Malignancy: Case Report of Unexpected Clostridium Septicum Infection and Its Fatal Consequence Grade M1*, Welk E1, Sostmann H1, Hammerstein HV1, McAulay CH3 Bostelmann R2 1Department Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases General Internal Christian Hospital Quakenbrück, Germany 2Department Neurosurgery Spine Surgery, 3Department Ra...

Clostridium septicum is a highly virulent pathogen which is associated with colorectal malignancy, hematological malignancy, immunosuppression, diabetes mellitus and cyclical neutropenia. Presentation may include disseminated clostridial infection in the form of septicemia, gas gangrene, and mycotic aortic aneurysms. We report the case of a 62-year-old female presenting with necrotizing fasciit...