Abstract
The incidence of anaerobic bacteria in bile, and the relationship between bacterial species isolated from the bile and the clinical characteristics of disease in these patients was studied. One hundred and twenty-five bile specimens obtained during surgery from the same number of patients were cultured aerobically and anaerobically. Seventy patients (56 %) had positive cultures and in 30 % of the patients with positive cultures anaerobic bacteria were recovered, usually together with aerobic bacteria. Members of the Bacteroides fragilis group were the most frequently isolated anaerobic organisms. There was a high rate of isolation of anaerobic bacteria from bile in patients with gangrenous cholecystitis (72 %) or acute cholangitis (50%). Administration of antibiotics effective against anaerobic bacteria should be considered when treating these diseases.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lykkegaard Nielsen, M., Justesen, T.: Anaerobic and aerobic bacteriological studies in biliary tract disease. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 1976, 11: 437–446.
Shimada, K., Inamatsu, T., Yamashiro, M.: Anaerobic bacteria in biliary disease in elderly patients. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1977, 135: 850–854.
England, D. M., Rosenblatt, J. E.: Anaerobes in human biliary tracts. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1977, 6: 494–498.
Lykkegaard Nielsen, M., Moesgaard, F., Justesen, T., Scheibel, J. H., Lindenberg, S.: Wound sepsis after elective cholecystectomy. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 1981, 16: 937–940.
Sakaguchi, Y., Murata, K., Kimura, M.:Clostridium perfringens and other anaerobes isolated from bile. Journal of Clinical Pathology 1983, 36: 345–349.
Pitt, H. A., Postier, R. G., Cameron, J. L.: Biliary bacteria, significance and alterations after therapy. Archives of Surgery 1982, 117: 445–449.
Jackaman, F. R., Hilson, G. R. F., Marlow, L. S.: Bile bacteria in patients with benign bile duct stricture. British Journal of Surgery 1980, 67: 329–332.
Bourgault, A. M., England, D. M., Rosenblatt, J. E., Forgacs, P., Bieger, R. C.: Clinical characteristics of anaerobic bacteribilia. Archives of Internal Medicine 1979, 139: 1346–1349.
Lennette, E. H., Balows, A., Hausler, W. J., Shadomy, H. J. (ed.): Manual of clinical microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, 1985.
Krieg, N. R., Holt, J. G. (ed.): Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Volume 1. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1984.
Holdeman, L. V., Moore, W. E. C.: Anaerobe laboratory manual. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 1972.
Turnbull, P. C. B., Lee, J. V., Miliotis, M. D., Van de Walle, S., Koornhof, H. J., Jeffery, L., Bryant, T. N.: Enterotoxin production in relation to taxonomic grouping and source of isolation ofAeromonas species. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1984, 19: 175–180.
Marne, C., Pallarés, R., Sitges-Serra, A.: Isolation ofPseudomonas putrefaciens in intrabdominal sepsis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1983, 17: 1173–1174.
Pallarés, R., Sitges-Serra, A., Marne, C., Escobedo, A., Villabona, C., Gudiol, F.: Biliary tract infections caused byHaemophilus influenzae type b. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1983, 2: 469–472.
Keighley, M. R. B., Lister, D. M., Jacobs, S. I., Giles, G. R.: Hazards of surgical treatment due to microorganisms in the bile. Surgery 1974, 75: 578–583.
Bergan, T., Doblough, I., Liavag, I.: Bacterial isolates in cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 1979, 14: 625–631.
Keighley, M. R. B., MacLeish, A. R., Bishop, H. M., Burdon, D. W., Quoraishi, A. H., Oates, G. D., Dorricot, N. J., Alexander-Williams, J.: Identification of the presence and type of biliary microflora by immediate gram stains. Surgery 1977, 81: 469–472.
Keighley, M. R. B., Flinn, R., Alexander-Williams, J.: Multivariate analysis of clinical and operative findings associated with biliary sepsis. British Journal of Surgery 1976, 63: 528–531.
Finegold, S. M.: Anaerobes in biliary tract infection. Archives of Internal Medicine 1979, 139: 1338–1339.
Shimada, K., Noro, T., Inamatsu, T., Urayama, K., Adachi, K.: Bacteriology of acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis of the aged. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1981, 14: 522–526.
Lykkegaard Nielsen, M., Asnaes, S., Justesen, T.: Susceptibility of the liver and biliary tract to anaerobic infection in extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 1976, 11: 263–272.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marne, C., Pallarés, R., Martín, R. et al. Gangrenous cholecystitis and acute cholangitis associated with anaerobic bacteria in bile. Eur. J, Clin. Microbiol. 5, 35–39 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02013458
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02013458