Case report: A rare case of skin abscess caused by coinfection of Actinobaculum schaalii and Actinomyces turicensis

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Mar 27:14:1378197. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1378197. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Skin abscess is one of the most common infections of the skin and soft tissues. However, anaerobic bacteria are infrequently identified as the causative agents of this particular form of abscess. In this case, a 34-year-old pregnant woman was diagnosed with a skin abscess with the use of ultrasonography. The microbiological analysis results of the purulent fluid revealed the coinfection of Actinobaculum schaalii and Actinomyces turicensis. The patient was first treated empirically with 3 days of cefathiamidine, which resulted in no symptom improvement. Subsequently, a surgical procedure involving incision and draining was performed, with the administration of ceftriaxone. After 7 days of antibiotic intervention, the patient exhibited a satisfactory recovery. Clinicians need to be aware of other types of infections that might be attributed to Actinobaculum schaalii and Actinomyces turicensis, in addition to urinary tract infections.

Keywords: Actinobaculum schaalii; Actinomyces turicensis; case report; coinfection; skin abscess.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abscess*
  • Actinomycetaceae*
  • Adult
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic
  • Coinfection* / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Humans

Supplementary concepts

  • Schaalia turicensis
  • Actinotignum schaalii

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Science and Technology Project of the Shandong Maternal and Children Health Care Association (SFYXH-2023Y005 and SFYXH-2023W018) and the Science and Technology Project of the Jinan Municipal Health Commission (2023-1-49 and 2023-2-121).