Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-rkxrd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T11:41:44.567Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Acute peritonsillar abscess caused by Arcanobacterium haemolyticum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

M. Barnham  and
R. A. Bradwell
M. Barnham*
Affiliation:
Harrogate
R. A. Bradwell
Affiliation:
Harrogate
*
Department of Microbiology, Harrogate General Hospital, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 7ND.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A patient is reported with a peritonsillar abscess yielding Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. This appears to be only the fifth such case described in the medical literature and the first from Europe. The organism has been reported as an occasional cause of tonsillopharyngitis with rash, resembling infection with Streptococcus pyogenes but often unresponsive to penicillin therapy. A. haemolyticum easily passes unrecognized in bacteriological cultures as a result of its slow growth, coryneform appearance in the Gram's stain and weak haemolytic activity on conventional laboratory media.

Keywords

Arcanobacterium haemolyticumAbscess, peritonsillar
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 106 , Issue 11 , November 1992 , pp. 1000 - 1001
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Banck, B., Nyman, M. (1986) Tonsillitis and rash associated with Corynebacterium haemolyticum. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 154: 1037–1040.Google Scholar
Barnham, M. (1988) Actinomyces pyogenes bacteraemia in a patient with carcinoma of the colon. Journal of Infection, 17: 231–234.Google Scholar
Brenwald, N. P., Teare, E. L., Mountfort, L. K., Tettmar, R. E. (1990) Selective medium for isolating Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 43: 610.Google Scholar
Collins, M. D., Jones, D., Schofield, G. M. (1982) Reclassification of Corynebacterium haemolyticum in the genus Arcanobacterium gen. nov. as Arcanobacterium haemolyticum nom. rev., comb, nov. Journal of General Microbiology, 128: 1279–1281.Google Scholar
Green, S. L., LaPeter, K. S. (1981) Pseudodiphtheritic membranous pharyngitis caused by Corynebacterium hemolyticum. Journal of American Medical Association, 245: 2330–2331.Google Scholar
Kovatch, A. L., Schuit, K. E., Michaels, R. H. (1983) Corynebacterium hemolyticum peritonsillar abscess mimicking diphtheria. Journal of American Medical Association, 249: 1757–1758.Google Scholar
Lammler, C., Blobel, H. (1988) Comparative studies on Actinomyces pyogenes and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 177: 109–114.Google Scholar
Miller, R. A., Brancato, F. (1984) Peritonsillar abscess associated with Corynebacterium hemolyticum. Western Journal of Medicine, 140: 449–451.Google Scholar
Miller, R. A., Brancato, R., Holmes, K. K. (1986) Corynebacterium hemolyticum as a cause of pharyngitis and scarlatiniform rash in young adults. Annals of Internal Medicine, 105: 867–872.Google Scholar
Selander, B., Ljungh, A. (1986) Corynebacterium haemolyticum as a cause of nonstreptococcal pharyngitis. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 154: 1041.Google Scholar
Waagner, D. C. (1991) Arcanobacterium haemolyticum: biology of the organism and diseases in man. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 10: 933–939.Google Scholar
Wickremesinghe, R. S. B. (1981) Corynebacterium haemolyticum infections in Sri Lanka. Journal of Hygiene (Cambridge), 87: 271–276.Google Scholar