Published online Mar 6, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i7.2286
Peer-review started: September 13, 2021
First decision: November 22, 2021
Revised: November 24, 2021
Accepted: January 22, 2022
Article in press: January 22, 2022
Published online: March 6, 2022
Processing time: 170 Days and 2 Hours
Burkholderia gladioli (B. gladioli) is regarded as a rare opportunistic pathogen. Only a few patients with abscesses caused by B. gladioli infections have been reported, and these are usually abscesses at the incision caused by traumatic surgery.
A 74-year-old male patient with abscesses and pain throughout his body for 1 mo was admitted to our hospital. Some of the abscesses had ruptured with purulent secretions on admission. Color Doppler ultrasound examination of the body surface masses showed mixed masses 75 mm × 19 mm, 58 mm × 17 mm, 17 mm × 7 mm, and 33 mm × 17 mm in size in the muscle tissues of both the right and left forearms, the posterior area of the right knee and the left leg, respectively. Abscess secretions and blood cultures grew B. gladioli. The following 3 methods were used to jointly identify the bacterium: an automatic microbial identification system, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and full-length 16S rDNA sequencing. After 27 d of treatment with meropenem, etimicin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and other antibiotics, most of his skin abscesses were flat and he was discharged without any symptoms.
This is the first reported case of multiple skin abscesses associated with bacteremia caused by B. gladioli. Our study provides important reference values for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of B. gladioli infections.
Core Tip: Burkholderia gladioli (B. gladioli) is a rare opportunistic pathogen. We report the first case of multiple skin abscesses caused by infection due to B. gladioli, and the relevant biological information, identification, and sensitivity to drugs, are also described in detail. The following three methods including an automatic microbial identification system, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and full-length 16S rDNA sequencing were jointly used to identify this bacterium. Therefore, the results obtained using the combination of these methods, were more accurate and reliable. This case provides a solid basis for the future clinical diagnosis and treatment of B. gladioli infections.