Tsukamurella paurometabola peritonitis in a patient on automated peritoneal dialysis

Bacterial Peritonitis Caused by Tsukamurella inchonensis in a Patient Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

Background

Tsukamurella is an environmental saprophyte that potentially causes various infections in humans. It has been reported to cause rare opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients or patients with indwelling foreign bodies.

Case Presentation

We report a case of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)-related peritonitis caused by Tsukamurella inchonensis (T. inchonensis). The patient was admitted to our hospital while demonstrating a cloudy peritoneal dialysate. Peritoneal fluid sample culturing yielded yellow-greyish, dry and membrane-like colonies. Gram staining showed straight, gram-positive rods. The organism was identified to be Tsukamurella species by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). It was then characterized to be homologous to T. inchonensis in the GenBank database by 16S Ribosomal RNA Sequencing. The strain was susceptible to quinolones, carbapenems and linezolid, but intermediately resistant to vancomycin in drug susceptibility testing. Eventually, the peritonitis was controlled with meropenem and the patient discharged from the hospital.

Conclusion

Here, we describe the first case of CAPD-related peritonitis caused by T. inchonensis in China. Importantly, T. inchonensis show resistance to cephalosporins and heterogeneous resistance to vancomycin, guideline-based empiric therapy occasionally fails. Further analyses of similar cases are required to understand the characteristics and formulate appropriate therapy regimen for T. inchonensis infections.