Intestinal perforations in a premature infant caused by Bacillus cereus

Although Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous bacterium, the incidence of neonatal infections is very low with only a few cases of B. cereus infections in neonates reported in the literature. We report the case of a premature infant with multiple intestinal perforations and an abdominal B. cereus infecti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Infection 2003-06, Vol.31 (3), p.192-193
Main Authors: GIRISCH, M, RIES, M, ZENKER, M, CARBON, R, RAUCH, R, HOFBECK, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abnormalities, Multiple - diagnosis
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Bacillaceae Infections - diagnosis
Bacillaceae Infections - therapy
Bacillus cereus - isolation & purification
Bacteremia - diagnosis
Bacteremia - therapy
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen
Biological and medical sciences
Combined Modality Therapy
Digestive System Surgical Procedures - methods
Enterotoxins - metabolism
Follow-Up Studies
Human bacterial diseases
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Infants
Infectious diseases
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Intestinal Perforation - diagnosis
Intestinal Perforation - etiology
Intestinal Perforation - surgery
Male
Medical sciences
Neonates
Risk Assessment
Severity of Illness Index
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Although Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous bacterium, the incidence of neonatal infections is very low with only a few cases of B. cereus infections in neonates reported in the literature. We report the case of a premature infant with multiple intestinal perforations and an abdominal B. cereus infection. The initial course was characterized by severe cardiovascular shock, anemia, thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation, leading to periventricular leukomalacia, alopecia capitis and toxic epidermal necrolysis. The possible role of B. cereus-associated enterotoxins for the clinical manifestations are discussed. Our case confirms previous reports of severe clinical symptoms in B. cereus infection in premature neonates. We speculate that the systemic complications of B. cereus infection are at least partly related to the effect of B. cereus-associated enterotoxins.
ISSN:0300-8126
1439-0973
DOI:10.1007/s15010-002-3037-6