We observed two cases of Clostridium tertium bacteremia three months apart in the sterile unit of our department of hematology and oncology. One patient was being treated for first-relapse acute myeloblastic leukemia, while the second was receiving high-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cell support for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. At the time that C. tertium was identified, the first patient was completely asymptomatic, while the second was highly febrile. Both responded biologically and/or clinically to antibiotherapy. We discuss the epidemiology and pathology of C. tertium in the general and cancer patient population.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.