Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Propionebacterium acnes in cultures from ventriculo-peritoneal shunts: Infection or contamination?

  • Clinical Articles
  • Published:
Acta Neurochirurgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We have examined the accuracy of our present CSF sampling technique in 14 referred patients with suspect shunt dysfunction. The study was performed comparing culture results from shunt reservoir punctures and sham samples from skin tissue fluid close to the reservoirs.

Propionebacterium acnes (P acnes) was found in five of fifteen cultures from reservoir punctures and in five of fifteen sham procedures. Positive cultures correlated in two cases. Thirteen of the fourteen patients included in the study were followed clinically and their symptoms disappeared without antibiotic or surgical treatment. One patient was treated surgically.

We conclude that bacterial growth in cultures from shunt reservoirs in cases with P acnes should be interpreted with great caution, as our findings indicate that they may be skin contaminations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bayston R (1992) Infections associated with cerebrospinal shunts for hydrocephalus. Minerva Pediatr 44 [Suppl 1 N 10]: 43–51

    Google Scholar 

  2. Beeler BA, Crowder JG, Smith JW, White (1976) Propionebacterium acnes: pathogen in central nervous system shunt infection. Am J Med 61: 935–938

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bisno A (1989) Infections of the central nervous system. In: Bisno A, Waldvogel FA (eds) Infections associated with indwelling medical devices. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, pp 93–109

    Google Scholar 

  4. Blount JP, Campbell J, Haines S (1993) Complications in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid shunting. Neurosurg Clin North Am 4: 633–655

    Google Scholar 

  5. Camarata P, McGeachie R, Haines S (1990) Dorsal mid brain encephalitis caused by Propionebacterium acnes. Report of two cases. J Neurosurg 72: 654–659

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Choux M, Genitori L, Lang D, Lena G (1992) Shunt implantation: reducing the incidence of shunt infection. J Neurosurg 77: 875–880

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Compton C, Bayston R, Richards K (1992) Slime-producing coryneforms in hydrocephalus shunt infections. Eur J Pediatr Surg 2 [Suppl 1]: 37–38

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Everett ED, Eickhoff TC, Simon R (1976) Cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections with anaerobic diphteroids (propionebacterium species). J Neurosurg 44: 580–584

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Frank JA, Friedman HS, Davidson DM, Faletta JM, Kinney TR (1983) Propionebacterium shunt nephritis in two adolescents with medulloblastoma. Cancer 52: 330–333

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. George R, Leibrock L, Epstein M (1979) Long-term analysis of cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections. A 25-year experience. J Neurosurg 51: 804–811

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Gower D, Lewis J, Kelly D (1984) Sterile shunt malfunction. J Neurosurg 61: 1079–1084

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kontny U, Höfling B, Gutjahr P, Voth D, Schwarz M, Schmitt H (1993) CSF shunt infections in children. Infection 21: 89–92

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Leyden JJ, McGinley KJ (1993) Coryneform bacteria. In: Noble WC (ed) The skin micro flora and microbial skin disease. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp 102–117

    Google Scholar 

  14. Meirovitch J, Kitay-Cohen Y, Keren G, Fiendler G, Rubinstein E (1987) Cerebrospinal shunt infections in children. Pediatr Inf Dis J 6: 921–924

    Google Scholar 

  15. Peacock WJ (1990) Prevention and management of cerebrospinal shunt complications. In: Villiers JC (ed) Some pitfalls and problems in neurosurgery, Vol 13. Prog Neurol Surg Basel, Karger, pp 114–130

  16. Pittman T, Williams D, Rathore M, Knutsen A, Mueller K (1994s) The role of ethylene oxide allergy in sterile shunt malfunctions. Br J Neurosurg 8: 41–45

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Pople I, Bayston R, Hayward R (1992) Infection of cerebrospinal fluid shunts in infants: a study of etiological factors. J Neurosurg 77: 29–36

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Quigley M, Reigel D, Kortyna R (1989) Cerebrospinal shunt infections. Pediatr Neurosci 15: 11–120

    Google Scholar 

  19. Reiner D, Lacombe J, Pierre-Kahn A, Sainte-Rose C, Hirsch J-F (1984) Factors causing acute shunt infection. J Neurosurg 61: 1072–1078

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Rekate HL, Ruch T, Nulsen FE (1980) Diphteroid infections of cerebrospinal fluid shunts. J Neurosurg 52: 553–556

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Shapiro S, Boaz J, Kleinman M, Kalsbeck J, Mealey J (1988) Origin of organisms infecting ventricular shunts. Neurosurgery 22: 868–872

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Skinner PR, Taylor AJ, Coakham H (1978) Propionebacteria as a cause of shunt and postneurosurgical infections. J Clin Pathol 31: 1085–1090

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Steinbock P, Cochrane DD, Kestle JRW (1996) The significance of bacteriological positive ventriculoperitoneal shunt components in the absence of other signs of shunt infections. J Neurosurg 84: 617–623

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Strand CL, Dubois R (1981) Propionebacterium acnes central nervous system shunt infections. Am J Clin Pathol 75: 330–333

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Uppsala

    H. Westergren

  2. Department of ENT-Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm

    V. Westergren

  3. Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    U. Forsum

Authors
  1. H. Westergren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Westergren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. U. Forsum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Westergren, H., Westergren, V. & Forsum, U. Propionebacterium acnes in cultures from ventriculo-peritoneal shunts: Infection or contamination?. Acta neurochir 139, 33–36 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01850865

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01850865

Keywords

Search

Navigation