A Case of Agrobacterium radiobacter Sepsis following Oral Surgery in a Patient of Oral Cancer

ABSTRACT

Agrobacterium is an aerobic, motile, oxidase-positive, and non-spore-forming gram-negative bacillus. Under laboratory conditions, Agrobacterium can genetically transform a wide range of other eukaryotic species. A plant-pathogenic soil inhabitant, Agrobacterium radiobacter is not characterized as a true human pathogen. It is an opportunistic pathogen of minor clinical significance and has been substantiated as a rare cause of bacteremia, endocarditis, urinary tract infection and peritonitis mostly in catheterized immunocompromised patients. The authors report a case of a 41-year-old female patient with sepsis caused by A. radiobacter bacteremia following wide excisional biopsy of adenoid-cystic carcinoma involving oral cavity. She was suffering from fever and chilling that developed on second post-operation day. Blood cultures yielded a gram-negative bacillus identified as A. radiobacter. She completely recovered with appropriate antibiotics treatment; levofloxacin and isepamicin. We experienced a case of sepsis due to A. radiobacter bacteremia without indwelling foreign body, which was treated successfully with antibiotics therapy.