Medisur (Feb 2014)

Isolation of Streptococcus bovis in a Patient with Undiagnosed Colon Cancer. A Case Report

  • Ledys Pérez Morales,
  • Jorge Emilio Barletta del Castillo,
  • Odette Quiñones Cherta

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 106 – 111

Abstract

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One of the bacterial agents commonly associated with colorectal cancer is Streptococcus bovis. Twenty five to 80 % of patients with Streptococcus bovis bacteremia develop colorectal tumors and the incidence of colonic neoplasia associated with S. bovis endocarditis has been shown to be 18 to 62 %. Hence, it was decided to present the case of a 57-year-old patient from an urban area with a 6-year history of diabetes mellitus type I and alcoholism, who was admitted to the hospital in Cienfuegos because of significant gastrointestinal bleeding and fever (39-40 o C). Streptococcus bovis was isolated from the blood culture. The patient died 72 hours after his admission. Autopsy results showed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the right colon.

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