A case report of severe Fusobacterium nucleatum sepsis secondary to nephrectomy

Abstract

Background Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is a resident anaerobic bacterium, which in rare cases may invade blood from the head and neck or the digestive tract to cause bacteremia and induce venous thrombosis. F. nucleatum is closely related to abdominal tumors, but it has not been reported in relation to renal tumors. We report herein a possible case. Case presentation This patient had kidney cancer with thrombosis in the right renal vein but had no sign of infection. After radical nephrectomy, thrombi formed in his left renal vein, and when removed, severe sepsis occurred. He did not respond to treatment with antibiotics and died, but the blood culture done confirmed that he had F. nucleatum bacteremia. Conclusion F. nucleatum may also be associated with kidney cancer, and could cause post-operative renal vein thrombosis, and sepsis or septic shock after thrombectomy.

Fusobacterium nucleatum: An Overview of Evidence, Demi-Decadal Trends, and Its Role in Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Various Gynecological Diseases, including Cancers

“…Thus, these works provided valuable insights into the immunomodulatory role of the F. nucleatum in BC development, progression and its effect on treatment effectiveness in patients. In recent years, several reports have been published linking F. nucleatum to OCs [144,146,147,193]. One such case series, presented by Almohaya et al [144] from Saudi Arabia, highlighted the incidence of F. nucleatum-associated bacteremia in a 72-year-old female patient with metastatic OC.…”

“…One such case series, presented by Almohaya et al [144] from Saudi Arabia, highlighted the incidence of F. nucleatum-associated bacteremia in a 72-year-old female patient with metastatic OC. The patient had a high white blood cell count (28.4 × 10 9 ) and c-reactive protein level (124 mg/L), anddespite receiving 14 days of antibiotic In recent years, several reports have been published linking F. nucleatum to OCs [144,146,147,193]. One such case series, presented by Almohaya et al [144] from Saudi Arabia, highlighted the incidence of F. nucleatum-associated bacteremia in a 72-year-old female patient with metastatic OC.…”

“…However, the bacterial isolates were found to be susceptible to all the 10 antimicrobials tested that belonged to the groups: penicillin, cephalosporins, carbapenems, beta-lactamase inhibitors, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, chloramphenicol, and metronidazole. Additionally, a study from China [193] summarized the clinical characteristics of patients with F. nucleatum infection. The study reported the bacterium's association with a female patient aged below 70 years suffering from OC who died within 2 days.…”

Virulence Factors of the Periodontal Pathogens: Tools to Evade the Host Immune Response and Promote Carcinogenesis

“…Unlike other strict anaerobic bacteria, F. nucleatum possess NADH oxidase endowing them with a limited ability to survive in oxygenated environment [ 117 ]. In addition to its implication in periodontal disease [ 118 ], F. nucleatum is capable of systemic dissemination and causing extra-oral infections, such as brain, liver, spleen, and lung abscesses, septicemia related infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and intrauterine infections [ 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 ]. F. nucleatum is equipped with a variety of adhesins that enable it to adhere to various microorganisms.…”

Colonization of Fusobacterium nucleatum is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients with venous thromboembolism: a retrospective cohort study

“…Its colonization in colorectal tissue can trigger a variety of pro-cancer mechanisms, known as oncobacterium [ 7 ]. The bacteraemia that it causes is often accompanied by thrombosis of visceral veins [ 8 ]. The reason may be that F. nucleatum can promote platelet aggregation by mediating endothelial cell damage [ 9 ].…”