Corynebacterium striatum, is a gram positive bacterium that can cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised host and it is among the members of the normal flora of skin and mucous membranes, In this case, a 88 years-old Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient admitted to intensive care unit with pneumonia and bacteriemia due to C. striatum which was isolated from both blood and respiratory specimens sent simultaneously, is presented.
Isolates are diagnosed as C. striatum with conventional biochemical tests and VITEK2 automated diagnostic system. Diagnosis is also confirmed by VITEKMS. Isolate was susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, erythromycin and gentamicin; resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, imipenem, meropenem, tetracycline and penicillin. Initial emperical meropenem treatment subsituted with linezolid and control samples, taken after a week period, were negative for C. striatum. Isolation of coryneform bacteria from clinical samples usually considered as contamination or colonization. In this case presentation, C. striatum, a member of coryneform bacteria, was isolated as causative agent in a patient with immunosupression, prolonged hospital stay and antibiotherapy. We believe effective coordination between laboratory and clinician is much more important in such cases.
Keywords: Corynebacterium striatum, opportunistic infection, pneumonia, bacteriemia
