Abstract
A case of empyema and lung abscess in an elderly patient who presented with clinical features of congestive cardiac failure is described.Gemella morbillorum was cultured from pleural exudate found postmortem to be associated with a lung abscess. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of infection with this organism in this setting. We discuss the clinical spectrum and management of infection with this infrequently encountered organism.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Klipper-Bälz R, Schleifer KH: Transfer ofStreptococcus morbillorum to theGemella genus,Gemella morbillorum comb. nov. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1988, 38: 442–443.
Facklam RR: Physiological differentiation of viridans streptococci. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1977, 5: 184–201.
Facklam RR, Washington JA: Streptococcus and related catalase-negative gram-positive cocci. In: Balows A, Hausier WJ, Herrmann KL, Isenberg HD, Shadomy HJ (ed): Manual of clinical microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, 1991, p. 238–257.
Cooksey TC, Thompson FS, Facklam RR: Physiological characterization of nutritionally variant streptococci. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1979, 10: 326–330.
Devlin HR, Boskovski L: The synergistic effect of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime against clinical isolates of anaerobic bacteria. Drugs 1988, 35, Supplement 2: 45–50.
Maxwell S: Endocarditis due toStreptococcus morbillorum. Journal of Infection 1989, 18: 67–72.
Calopa M, Rubio F Aguilar M, Peres J: Giant basilar aneurysm in the course of subacute bacterial endocarditis. Stroke 1990, 21: 1625–1627.
Garavelli PL: Meningitis caused byStreptococcus morbillorum. Minerva Medica 1990, 81: 69.
Gallis HA: Viridans and β-haemolytic (non-group A, B and D) streptococci. In: Mandell GL, Douglas RG, Bennett JE (ed): Principles and practice of infectious diseases. Churchill Livingstone, New York, 1990, p. 1563–1572.
Haffajee AD, Dzink JL, Socransky SS: Effect of modified Widman flap surgery and systemic tetracycline on the subgingival microbiota of periodontal lesions. Journal of Clinical Periodontology 1988, 15: 255–262.
Rabe LK, Winterscheid KK, Hillier SL: Association of viridans group streptococci from women with bacterial vaginosis and upper genital tract infection. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1988, 26: 1156–1160.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
da Costa, C.T.K.A., Porter, C., Parry, K. et al. Empyema thoracis and lung abscess due toGemella morbillorum . Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 15, 75–77 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01586189
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01586189