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Rare disease
CASE REPORT
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: an emerging multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen in the immunocompromised host
  1. Emily Baumrin1,2,
  2. Evan W Piette3,
  3. Robert G Micheletti4
  1. 1 Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  2. 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  3. 3 Dermatology and Skin Surgery Center, Exton, Pennsylvania, USA
  4. 4 Dermatology and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Robert G Micheletti, Robert.Micheletti{at}uphs.upenn.edu

Summary

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen with increasing prevalence and high morbidity and mortality. In addition to its classic association with pulmonary infections, S. maltophilia can cause skin and soft tissue infections with varying clinical presentations. We describe the case of a man in his 30s with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who presented with a solitary patch of faint but tender purpura found to have rapidly progressive S. maltophilia infection diagnosed on skin biopsy. S. maltophilia infection should be considered in the cutaneous evaluation of the immunocompromised host.

  • dermatology
  • nosocomial infections

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2017-221053

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors All of the authors warrant that they made substantial contributions to the study design, data acquisition and analysis/interpretation of data. EB drafted the manuscript primarily. Substantive edits were made by EWP and RGM. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.