Isolation of Salmonella enterica serotype Worthington from a splenic abscess in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia

ABSTRACT

Splenic abscesses are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. We report a case of splenic abscess caused by an unusual serotype of Salmonella. A 55 year old man was admitted with complaints of fever and abdominal pain. On the basis of clinical findings and laboratory reports, a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia was made. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed a single large cystic lesion in the spleen. Percutaneous drainage of the abscess was carried out. Salmonella enterica serotype Worthington was isolated from a pus sample taken from the abscess. The isolate was resistant to ampicillin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol and tetracycline, and sensitive to amikacin and norfloxacin. Serotype Worthington is an emerging pathogen. This is the first report of isolation of this serotype from a splenic abscess. In seriously ill patients, such infections should be treated with a combination of antibiotics to circumvent problems with multidrug resistance.