Infect Chemother.  2012 Aug;44(4):315-318. 10.3947/ic.2012.44.4.315.

Septicemic Melioidosis Presenting as Head and Neck Abscesses

• Park SY
• Kang CI
• Joo EJ
• Ha YE
• Ki CS
• Lee NY
• Chung DR
• Peck KR
• Song JH

• KMID: 2045554
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2012.44.4.315

Abstract

Melioidosis is a life-threatening disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei , which is endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. It may manifest as a pulmonary lesion, osteomyelitis, septicemia, or abscesses of soft tissue or various organs. However, soft tissue abscess associated with bacteremia, especially those found in the head and neck, are rarely reported. We report a case of disseminated septicemia due to Burkholderia pseudomallei presenting as head and neck abscesses in a 55-year-old Korean man with a history of working in Malaysia. This is the first report of fatal melioidosis presenting as a complicated skin and soft tissue infection, in Korea.

Keyword

Burkholderia pseudomallei; Melioidosis; Head and neck abscess

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Asia, Southeastern
Australia
Bacteremia
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Head
Humans
Korea
Malaysia
Melioidosis
Middle Aged
Neck
Osteomyelitis
Sepsis
Skin
Soft Tissue Infections

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 The neck CT axial view (A) shows clustered cystic lesions and infiltrative enhancing soft-tissue lesions in the right temporal space. The coronal view of the neck CT (B) reveals soft tissue infiltration of the neck. A post-contrast axial T1 weighted image (C) shows extended inflammation with abscess formation (arrow). This image suggests the presence of dural enhancement (arrowhead) associated with intracranial extension.

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