Fournier's Gangrene with Growth of Actinomyces europaeus: A Case Report

Shurong Zhang; Yunkai Xie; Yanqiu Wang; Guoyu Jin; Rongtao Cui; Yonghui Zou

doi:10.1007/s40121-023-00781-6

Fournier's Gangrene with Growth of Actinomyces europaeus: A Case Report

Infect Dis Ther. 2023 Mar;12(3):1007-1011. doi: 10.1007/s40121-023-00781-6. Epub 2023 Feb 23.

Authors

Shurong Zhang¹, Yunkai Xie², Yanqiu Wang³, Guoyu Jin⁴, Rongtao Cui⁵, Yonghui Zou⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gynecological Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, China.
² Department of Gynecological Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Operating Room, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, China.
⁴ Department of Gynecological Oncology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
⁵ Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
⁶ Department of Gynecological Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, China. 18769735015@163.com.

Abstract

Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a rare infectious disease with rapid disease progression and a high mortality rate. We report a case of a 61-year-old female with type 2 diabetes who developed FG caused by Actinomyces europaeus. A. europaeus is associated with abscesses, decubitus ulcers, and purulent urethritis. Although A. europaeus rarely causes FG as the main causative pathogen, we should still be alert to this pathogenic microorganism. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of FG caused by A. europaeus mono-infection, and it adds to the evidence that A. europaeus has the potential to cause necrotizing fasciitis.

Keywords: Actinomyces europaeus; Fournier’s gangrene; Necrotizing fasciitis.