Unusual Presentations of Abdominal Melioidosis

Vignesh Kumar Mohan; Komalavalli Rajesh; Sripriya Srinivas; R Ravi; Jimmy Prabhakaran; K Srinivasan; Subha Sundaramoorthy

doi:10.4103/jgid.jgid_129_20

Unusual Presentations of Abdominal Melioidosis

J Glob Infect Dis. 2021 Jan 29;13(1):52-55. doi: 10.4103/jgid.jgid_129_20. eCollection 2021 Jan-Mar.

Authors

Vignesh Kumar Mohan¹, Komalavalli Rajesh¹, Sripriya Srinivas¹, R Ravi², Jimmy Prabhakaran³, K Srinivasan¹, Subha Sundaramoorthy⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiodiagnosis, Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
² Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁴ Department of Microbiology, Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

Melioidosis is an endemic bacterial infection caused by soil saprophyte, Burkholderia pseudomallei. It infects adults with risk factors or immunosuppressed and exposed to moist soil. Its significance lies in its varied clinical presentation and high mortality (40%). We present two cases of abdominal melioidosis with unusual clinical presentations. The first case presented with intractable hiccups and had isolated splenic melioidosis with contained rupture. The second case presented with fever and acute abdominal pain found to have pancreatic melioidosis and splenic vein thrombosis. Both the patients were treated with IV antibiotics and subsequently discharged after improvement in symptoms. The imaging findings of isolated type of melioidosis can mimic various other infections and granulomatous disease. Hence high index of clinical suspicion for patients presenting from endemic areas will narrow down the differential diagnosis.

Keywords: Burkholderia infection; melioidosis; splenic abscess.

Publication types

Case Reports