Trueperella bernardiae: an unusual cause of septic thrombophlebitis in an injection drug user

Abstract

The clinical spectrum of human disease caused by Trueperella bernardiae is poorly described, partly as a result of historical difficulties with microbial identification. With the introduction of powerful new technologies, such as matrix-assisted desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry, into routine microbiology laboratories, new insights into diseases caused by such organisms are being made. Here we report a case of septic thrombophlebitis with bacteraemia caused by this organism, together with a retrospective description of laboratory isolation of this organism over a period of 6 years in a hospital in London, UK. Keywords: Bacteraemia, injection drug user, MALDI-TOF, thrombophlebitis, Trueperella bernardiae