Abstract
Corynebacterium amycolatum has been rarely reported from cases of breast abscess/mastitis. We describe a case of Corynebacterium amycolatum causing breast abscess with fistula formation. The identification of the organism was done by MALDI- TOF (Matrix assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight) Vitek MS (Mass spectrometry) [Biomerieux, France] and Vitek-2 (Biomerieux, France). The clinical significance of the organism was ascertained in view of presence of many polymorphonuclear cells along with Gram positive bacilli on Gram stain examination. The patient was successfully managed with surgical treatment followed by antimicrobial therapy. DOI: 10.21276/APALM.1456
Highlights
Non diphtheriae Corynebacterium species (Diphtheroids) constitute the normal flora of skin and upper respiratory tract and are commonly isolated as colonizer or contaminant but have been isolated as opportunistic pathogens
The commonly isolated species in clinical microbiology laboratory are C. jeikeium, C. glucuronolyticum, C. aurimucosum, C. amycolatum, C. striatum, C. pseudodiphtheriticum, C. urealyticum, and C. tuberculostearicum.[1]The identification of these organisms to species level is difficult in a routine clinical Microbiology laboratory and they may be regarded as contaminants even if clinically significant
Corynebacterium species have been found to be isolated from patients with inflammatory breast disease from cases of Granulomatous lobular mastitis but the reports of Corynebacterium amycolatum causing breast infections are scarce or under-reported.[2,3]Here, we report a case of breast abscess due to non diphtheriae Corynebacterium which was identified as C. amycolatum by MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight) Vitek MS (Mass Spectrometry) [Biomerieux, France] and Vitek-2 (Biomerieux, France)
Summary
Non diphtheriae Corynebacterium species (Diphtheroids) constitute the normal flora of skin and upper respiratory tract and are commonly isolated as colonizer or contaminant but have been isolated as opportunistic pathogens. Corynebacterium species have been found to be isolated from patients with inflammatory breast disease from cases of Granulomatous lobular mastitis but the reports of Corynebacterium amycolatum causing breast infections are scarce or under-reported.[2,3]Here, we report a case of breast abscess due to non diphtheriae Corynebacterium which was identified as C. amycolatum by MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight) Vitek MS (Mass Spectrometry) [Biomerieux, France] and Vitek-2 (Biomerieux, France). Patient had a history of lactational mastitis followed by left breast abscess for which she was operated there one year back. The histopathologic examination was suggestive of duct ectasia with dense acute on chronic mastitis, and foci of suppurative inflammation. It showed several large neutrophilic micro abscesses and collections of foamy histiocytes and foreign body type multinucleated histiocytic giant cells within the background inflammatory infiltrate.
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