Isolation of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus from a patient with acute appendicitis

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2011 Jul;15(7):845-7.

Abstract

Objectives: Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency. The etiology and pathophysiology of appendicitis have been well investigated. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is a fastidious gram-negative coccobacilli. Detection of this organism in clinical samples and its differentiation from Haemophilus aphrophilus or from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in routine microbiology settings could be difficult.

Methods: In this rare case, we report the isolation of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus from the appendix of a 14-year-old boy presented with acute appendicitis. The genotypic method using 16S rRNA sequencing was used for identification of the organism at species level.

Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of detecting fastidious and rare microorganisms such as Aggregatibacter aphrophilus that could be associated with acute appendicitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Appendectomy
  • Appendicitis / microbiology*
  • Appendicitis / surgery
  • Appendix / microbiology*
  • Appendix / surgery
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Haemophilus paraphrophilus / classification
  • Haemophilus paraphrophilus / genetics
  • Haemophilus paraphrophilus / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Ribotyping

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S