An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient
We herein report an autopsy case of a fulminant Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens or Welch bacilli) infection in a healthy adult. A 72-year-old, immunocompetent man visited the emergency department with lower back pain, and blood test revealed hemolytic attack. His condition rapidly worsened w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Pathology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/9213132 |
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| author | Ayano Osamura Hiromi Onizuka Kenta Masui Kumiko Murakami Tomoko Yamamoto Yoji Nagashima Munekazu Takeda Atsushi Kurata |
| author_facet | Ayano Osamura Hiromi Onizuka Kenta Masui Kumiko Murakami Tomoko Yamamoto Yoji Nagashima Munekazu Takeda Atsushi Kurata |
| author_sort | Ayano Osamura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We herein report an autopsy case of a fulminant Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens or Welch bacilli) infection in a healthy adult. A 72-year-old, immunocompetent man visited the emergency department with lower back pain, and blood test revealed hemolytic attack. His condition rapidly worsened with severe acidosis and anemia, and he died despite symptomatic treatment. An autopsy examination demonstrated an abscess with necrosis and air spaces in the right lobe of his liver. Numerous Gram-positive bacilli were seen in the liver and bone marrow, and C. perfringens was identified in culture of the antemortem blood sample. Of note, a mucosal epithelium of the ileum showed loss of tight junctions (claudin 4), suggesting the involvement of C. perfringens toxins with its systemic spreading. Welch toxins were suggested to be involved in serious pathological conditions such as hemolytic anemia and systemic infections, and it is necessary to raise Welch infection as one of the differential diagnoses for fulminant systemic infections even in healthy individuals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-41f9d6307b4445d1aa2cfd265352a2f8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-679X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Pathology |
| spelling | doaj-art-41f9d6307b4445d1aa2cfd265352a2f82025-02-03T10:48:36ZengWileyCase Reports in Pathology2090-679X2024-01-01202410.1155/2024/9213132An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy PatientAyano Osamura0Hiromi Onizuka1Kenta Masui2Kumiko Murakami3Tomoko Yamamoto4Yoji Nagashima5Munekazu Takeda6Atsushi Kurata7Department of PathologyDepartment of PathologyDepartment of PathologyDepartment of PathologyDepartment of PathologyDepartment of Surgical PathologyDepartment of Critical Care and Emergency MedicineDepartment of PathologyWe herein report an autopsy case of a fulminant Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens or Welch bacilli) infection in a healthy adult. A 72-year-old, immunocompetent man visited the emergency department with lower back pain, and blood test revealed hemolytic attack. His condition rapidly worsened with severe acidosis and anemia, and he died despite symptomatic treatment. An autopsy examination demonstrated an abscess with necrosis and air spaces in the right lobe of his liver. Numerous Gram-positive bacilli were seen in the liver and bone marrow, and C. perfringens was identified in culture of the antemortem blood sample. Of note, a mucosal epithelium of the ileum showed loss of tight junctions (claudin 4), suggesting the involvement of C. perfringens toxins with its systemic spreading. Welch toxins were suggested to be involved in serious pathological conditions such as hemolytic anemia and systemic infections, and it is necessary to raise Welch infection as one of the differential diagnoses for fulminant systemic infections even in healthy individuals.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/9213132 |
| spellingShingle | Ayano Osamura Hiromi Onizuka Kenta Masui Kumiko Murakami Tomoko Yamamoto Yoji Nagashima Munekazu Takeda Atsushi Kurata An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient Case Reports in Pathology |
| title | An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient |
| title_full | An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient |
| title_fullStr | An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient |
| title_short | An Autopsy Case of Fulminant Systemic Infection of Clostridium perfringens With a Diverse Role of Toxins in a Healthy Patient |
| title_sort | autopsy case of fulminant systemic infection of clostridium perfringens with a diverse role of toxins in a healthy patient |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/9213132 |
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