This is the first reported case of septicemia due to
Capnocytophaga sputigena in Japan, which is the second in the world to our knowledge.
A 15-year-old cyanotic boy with truncus arteriosus was hospitalized for nephrotic syndrome. Edema and proteinuria disappeared after two weeks' treatment with 60 mg/day prednisolone. Four weeks later, while he was on 40 mg/day prednisolone, he developed suddenly fever, anisocoria and paralysis of left leg. A lumbar tapand brain CT scan revelaed no abnormal findings. These symptoms were gradually improved. Nine weeks after admission, he again developed fever and left hemiparalysis, with a WBC count of 13, 000/mm
3 with 86% neutrophils. Fosfomycin and latamoxef were given, but neither of them was apparently effective, and he died four days later.
After a week of his death,
Capnocytophaga sputigena was isolated from the blood obtained two days prior to his death. The isolate was sensitive to penicillin G, ampicillin, clindamycin and minocycline, but resistant to fosfomycin and gentamicin.
Among 43 cases of
Capnocytophaga septicemia reported in the literature, there is only one report of septicemia due to
capnocytophaga sputigena. Nine of 43 strains were
C. ochracea, and the remains were unspecified. The patients with
Capnocytophaga septicemia were apt to have underlying diseases such as leukemia, malignant lymphoma or other malignancies, and were generally leukopenic.
Members of the genus
Capnocytophaga are not only associated with juvenile periodontitis, but also important as a pathogene in immunocompromized hosts having poor oralhygiene.
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