An Unexpected Infection in a Venous Leg Ulcer: a Case Report

Veríssimo, M; Guimarães, D; Casal, D; Carvalho, S; Matias, M; Barbosa, R; Bexiga, J

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.17/4984

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Abstract(s)

Providencia rettgeri is a Gram-negative bacillus that is most usually seen in urinary tract infections. Skin and soft tissue infections with P rettgeri are rare and there few case reports described in the literature. A 43-yearold woman presented to the emergency department with a leg ulcer of 3 months duration. Microbiological results isolated P rettgeri and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. She underwent surgical debridement and split-thickness skin grafting alongside IV antibiotic therapy and dressing care, with complete resolution of the wound 3 months after admission. The differential diagnosis of leg ulcers is wide and must include infection and venous insufficiency. Although venous ulcers are common, typically they are not responsible for rapid evolving ulcers that destroy tissues below the muscular fascia. In this case report, the authors hypothesise that P rettgeri had a major role in the severity of the ulcer in an otherwise healthy woman. A greater understanding of how P rettgeri affects wound pathophysiology is needed in order to distinguish between colonisation versus infection and discriminate bacterial synergy, as well as having better treatment guidelines.