Fusobacterium nucleatum: a rare cause of bacteremia in neutropenic patients with leukemia and lymphoma

Abstract:

Although anaerobic bacteremias are uncommon in oncohematologic patients, nevertheless they have been considered an emergent problem in the last few years. Fusobacterium nucleatum is an anaerobic Gram-negative bacillus commonly present in the oral cavity and in the respiratory and genito-urinary tracts. Over a 10-year period 18 episodes of F. nucleatum bacteremia in patients with hematological malignances (15 leukemias and 3 lymphomas) have been observed in our Department of Hematology. Predisposing factors included oropharyngeal mucositis and severe neutropenia owing to intensive chemotherapy. In our experience no septic shock occurred and the outcome of bacteremias caused by F. nucleatum was favorable.

Keywords: Fusobacterium nucleatum; neutropenia; bacteremia; anaerobes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-0691.2003.00717.x

Affiliations: 1: Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medical and Morphological research, University Hospital 2: Institute of Microbiology, General Hospital, Udine, Italy