Eikinella corrodens septicaemia among drug injectors: a possible association with 'licking wounds'

Hypertrophic osteopathy associated with pulmonary Eikenella corrodens infection in a dog

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 4-year-old English Pointer was examined because of chronic, progressive signs of pulmonary disease and failure to respond to medical treatment.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

At examination, radiography of the thorax revealed increased pulmonary opacity and air bronchograms in the right caudal lung lobe, and radiography of the forelimbs revealed periosteal bone production typical of hypertrophic osteopathy. Attempts to isolate a causative organism included bacterial culture of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and a lung tissue specimen obtained via fine-needle aspiration. Despite a cytologic diagnosis of septic suppurative inflammation in the lavage fluid, those specimens did not yield bacterial growth. However, a biopsy specimen obtained during a lung lobectomy procedure yielded growth of Eikenella corrodens.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Despite successful surgical removal of the consolidated lung lobe and initiation of antimicrobial treatment, the dog died 6 days after surgery.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The authors are not aware of reports of pulmonary infection with E. corrodens in animals. Infection with the organism is rare, but it is possible that infections are underreported given that the organism is difficult to culture and biopsy may be necessary to obtain enough tissue to yield a diagnosis.