First report on sepsis caused by Porphyromonas pogonae

The thoracoabdominal wall abscess and sepsis caused by Porphyromonas pogonae: Case report and literature review

Background

Porphyromonas pogonae was first reported in 2011 from polymicrobial infections in central bearded dragons. Human infections caused by P. pogonae remain rare, with only four cases published in the PubMed database. Herein, we present an unusual Chinese case of the thoracoabdominal wall abscess with sepsis caused by P. pogonae and review the clinical manifestations, diagnostic evaluation, and clinical outcome of the case.

Case presentation

A 62-year-old female with sinusitis but no diabetes mellitus presented with fever, tenderness under an abdominal mass, and paroxysmal stabbing pain in the chest after receiving augmentation mammoplasty. Cultures of blood and pus yielded P. pogonae, and a diagnosis of sepsis with an abscess in the chest and abdominal wall was made. After repeated debridement and appropriate meropenem antibiotic treatment, the patient was successfully treated and discharged home.

Conclusions

We report the first human case of P. pogonae causing sepsis in a patient with an abscess in China. The identification of P. pogonae should be considered if the strain grows well under either anaerobic or microaerobic conditions and exhibits strong β-hemolysis with fluorescence. This study retrospectively reviewed patients' infection diagnosis, clinical treatment, and prognosis to enhance awareness of the risk of P. pogonae infection.

A rare cause of bacteremia due to Porphyromonas asaccharolytica in a patient with necrotizing fasciitis

Porphyromonas species are Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli mainly involved in human periodontal diseases. We report an uncommon case of bacteremia due to P. asaccharolytica in a patient with necrotizing fasciitis. A 52-year-old woman with a history of diabetes mellitus was admitted for an extensive necrotizing lesion on the left lower limb. After she developed septic shock, two sets of blood cultures were taken. Anaerobic bottles yielded a pure culture of a microorganism initially identified as P. uenonis by MALDI-TOF MS but with a low log score, and a gene sequencing technique was therefore applied, identifying the isolate as P. asaccharolytica. Only resistance to penicillin and clindamycin was documented. Treatment with meropenem was administered, and the patient was discharged following her recovery.

Porphyromonas spp. have an extensive host range in ill and healthy individuals and an unexpected environmental distribution: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Studies on the anaerobic bacteria Porphyromonas, mainly focused on P. gingivalis, have revealed new bacterial structures, metabolic pathways, and physiologic functionalities. Porphyromonas are mainly described as being associated with mammals and involved in chronic oral infections and secondary pathologies such as cancers or neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we collected and analyzed information regarding Porphyromonas isolation sites and associated conditions and showed that Porphyromonas are detected in numerous pristine and anthropic environments and that their host range appears wider than previously believed, including aquatic animals, arthropods, and birds, even if their predominant hosts remain humans, pets, and farm animals. Our analyses also revealed their presence in multiple organs and in a substantial proportion of healthy contexts. Overall, the growing numbers of microbiota studies have allowed unprecedented advances in the understanding of Porphyromonas ecology but raise questions regarding their phylogenic assignment. In conclusion, this systematic and meta-analysis provides an overview of current knowledge regarding Porphyromonas ecological distribution and encourages additional research to fill the knowledge gaps to better understand their environmental distribution and inter- and intra-species transmission.

Late ascending aortic prosthesis infection by Porphyromonas pogonae: An unexpected infectious complication

Late complications in ascending aortic surgeries are uncommon and may occur by infectious processes, usually caused by gram positive bacteria. We report a case of aortic prosthesis infection by Porphyromonas pogonae, an anaerobic gram-negative coccobacillus that can grow under microaerobic conditions, three years after ascending aortic reconstruction surgery.