Adult cutaneous diphtheria in Poland – a case report and literature overview

Abstract

Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae) is the primary pathogen causing diphtheria, which basically exists in two forms: nasopharyngeal and cutaneous. According to a commonly introduced vaccination programme against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT), the incidence of diphtheria has significantly dropped around the world, in some areas disappearing almost completely. However nowadays, we observe the reappearance of diphtheria, especially the cutaneous form, even in countries with very high vaccination rates due to the increasing migration from countries with a lower level of vaccinated citizens. We present a case study of a Ukrainian immigrant diagnosed with cutaneous diphtheria to raise the awareness of the medical community about this returning disease, its cutaneous form and new medical challenges connected to it. It has been the first reported case of C. diphtheriae infection in Poland since 2005. We analysed the most recent articles available in PubMed and Google Scholar databases using criterion keywords such as: “diphtheria case”, “diphtheria case report”, “cutaneous diphtheria”. We selected the most suitable out of approximately 1,700 articles. The presented case report and analysis of scientific publications on cutaneous diphtheria show the importance of this form of the disease in the modern, post-vaccination era. We claim that the importance of vaccination, self-protection during contact with patients, and awareness of the risks of the medical environment are becoming even more important.

Keywords

• review
• case report
• cutaneous diphtheria
• diphtheria