J Korean Med Sci.  2002 Feb;17(1):113-115. 10.3346/jkms.2002.17.1.113.

Penicillin-resistant Aerococcus viridans Bacteremia Associated with Granulocytopenia

• Uh Y
• Son JS
• Jang IH
• Yoon KJ
• Hong SK

• KMID: 2157604
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2002.17.1.113

Abstract

Aerococcus viridans, a catalase-negative gram-positive coccus rarely causing bacteremia, was isolated from blood cultures of a 52-yr-old man under the gran-ulocytopenic condition. The isolate showed the typical characteristics of A. viridans, i.e., tetrad arrangements in gram stain, positive pyrrolidonyl aminopeptidase (PYR) and negative leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) reactions, and no growth at 45 degrees C.The isolate was revealed to be highly resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and ceftriaxone, although most strains of A. viridans isolated from the previously reported patients were susceptible to penicillin and other commonly used antibiotics. Even though A. viridans is rarely associated with human infections, it could be a potential causative agent of bacteremia, especially in immunocompromised patients.

Keyword

Aerococcus viridans; Bacteremia; Agranulocytosis; Penicillin resistance

MeSH Terms

Agranulocytosis/*complications/microbiology/physiopathology
Bacteremia/*complications/microbiology/physiopathology
Ceftriaxone/pharmacology
Clindamycin/pharmacology
*Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
Erythromycin/pharmacology
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/*complications/microbiology/physiopathology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Penicillins/*pharmacology
Streptococcaceae/*drug effects/isolation & purification