A case of pneumonia caused by Bacillus anthracis secondary to gastrointestinal anthrax

Received 27 May 2008; accepted 10 December 2008. published online 09 February 2009.

Abstract

We present herein an unusual case of anthrax pneumonia secondary to gastrointestinal infection. In this case, severe abdominal pain occurred during the course of a stent placement procedure. The patient had undergone surgery with the prediagnosis of intestinal ischemia. On the second postoperative day, pneumonia developed and B. anthracis grew as the etiologic agent. Pathological examination of small-bowel sections revealed findings in accordance with anthrax.

Corresponding Editor: Mark Holodniy

Keywords: Bacillus anthracis, Anthrax, Pneumonia, Gastrointestinal anthrax

a Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Department of Clinical Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, Kocaeli, Turkey

b Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Department of Pathology, Kocaeli, Turkey

c Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Department of Microbiology, Kocaeli, Turkey

d Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Kocaeli, Turkey

Corresponding author. Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Department of Clinical Bacteriology and Infectious Disease, Umuttepe, Kocaeli, 41380, Turkey. Tel.: +90 262 3037082; fax: +90 262 3038085.

PII: S1201-9712(09)00011-3

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2008.12.008

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