Abstract
We report a 58-year-old man with gas gangrene caused by Gemella morbillorum after rabbitfish sting injury. At the beginning of October 2007, while sea fishing, his right knee was injured by a rabbitfish spine and suction was applied to the wound for the purpose of detox. Two days later, the dorsal aspect of his right knee was erythematous and edematous, with pain. Because of a worsening of his symptoms, he consulted a nearby hospital and received an antibiotic prescription on the diagnosis of cellulitis. Nine days later, he consulted us and was hospitalized for emergency operation of gas gangrene under the CT findings. Necrotic tissue cultures grew Gemella morbillorum with phagocytosis. His condition was improved by debridement and antibiotic therapy. Sixteen days later, a split skin tissue graft was performed and the wound was closed. The patient was discharged without sequelae in mid-November. Gemella morbillorum is part of the commensal flora of the oropharynx and intestinal tract, and on rare occasions it causes soft tissue infection.
