Purpura fulminans due to Enterococcus cecorum in an asplenic patient

Alexia Lundy; Aurore Claudinon; Jo-Anna Tirolien; Gaëtan Plantefève; Damien Contou

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01522

Purpura fulminans due to Enterococcus cecorum in an asplenic patient

IDCases. 2022 May 31:29:e01522. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01522. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Alexia Lundy¹, Aurore Claudinon², Jo-Anna Tirolien¹, Gaëtan Plantefève¹, Damien Contou¹

Affiliations

¹ Service de Réanimation Polyvalente, Centre Hospitalier Victor Dupouy, 69, rue du Lieutenant-Colonel Prud'hon, 95100 Argenteuil, France.
² Service de microbiologie, Centre Hospitalier Victor Dupouy, 69, rue du Lieutenant-Colonel Prud'hon, 95100 Argenteuil, France.

Abstract

Enterococcus cecorum was initially isolated from the intestine of poultry and is an uncommon cause of human infection. We report here what we believe to be the first case of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) with purpura fulminans due to Enterococcus cecorum in a 51-year-old man. As opposed to other enterococci, Enterococcus cecorum remains susceptible to third-generation cephalosporin which is the first line empirical antibiotic therapy for both patients with purpura fulminans and asplenic patients with sepsis. Despite adequate antibiotic therapy, evolution in the intensive care unit (ICU) was overwhelming with death occurring 10 h after ICU admission.

Keywords: Asplenia; Enterococcus cecorum; ICU; ICU, Intensive Care Unit; OPSI, Overwhelming post-splenectomy infection; Purpura fulminans; Sepsis.

Publication types

Case Reports