cHaemophilus influenzae is a rare cause of soft tissue infection. In this report, we present a case of multifocal necrotizing fasciitis in a healthy adult patient, secondary to Haemophilus influenzae serotype f infection, and we review literature on this rare cause of necrotizing fasciitis.
CASE REPORTA 63-year-old female came to the Duke University Medical Center Emergency Department in February 2013 because of a fever and increasing right hip and right shoulder pain that had occurred over a 5-day period. Her medical history was notable for stage II breast cancer treated with a left mastectomy and six cycles of cyclophosphamide and adriamycin in 1996 and for hypothyroidism, mitral valve prolapse, and hyperlipidemia.Several days prior to hospitalization, the patient had cared for a grandchild with a mild upper respiratory illness. Two days later, the patient noted mild throat discomfort. The following day, she went on a 4-mile run and then did yoga and weight training. Later that day, chills occurred. Her temperature rose to 104°F, and she took ibuprofen. The next morning, she noted pains in her right groin and right shoulder and sought evaluation at a local emergency department. Results of basic laboratory testing and a nasal swab for influenza virus were normal or negative; thus, she was discharged without a specific diagnosis and with instructions to take analgesics and rest. The following day, her right shoulder and groin pain were worse. She was seen in the office of an orthopedic surgeon, who prescribed methyl prednisolone. Her pain intensified over the next 2 days, and thus, she went to the Emergency Department at Duke University Medical Center, where an examination showed a normal temperature and blood pressure. Passive and active movements of her right shoulder and right hip were limited by pain. The soft tissues overlying the right shoulder from the deltoid to the midhumerus and from the region of the pubic symphysis to the right medial thigh were indurated and erythematous. Initial laboratory tests showed the following: C-reactive protein (CRP) level, 37.6 mg/dl; erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), 91 mm/h; creatinine level, 2.7 mg/dl; platelet count, 110 ϫ 10 9 cells/liter; white blood cell count, 2.4 ϫ 10 9 cells/liter (36% bands); aspartate transaminase (AST) level, 48 U/liter; and creatinine kinase level, 195 U/liter (30 to 220 U/liter). Blood and urine specimens were obtained for cultures, and treatment with vancomycin and ceftriaxone was initiated.Following admission, ceftriaxone was discontinued, and treatment with clindamycin and cefepime was begun. A consulting orthopedic surgeon attempted to aspirate the right shoulder, but no joint fluid could be detected. Aspiration of the right hip recovered a small amount of fluid containing 83 white blood cells/l (44% polymorphonuclear cells); no organisms were seen on the Gram stain. A subsequent magnetic resonance imaging study revealed findings consistent with nonspecific myositis and fasciitis involving the right shoulder and arm and right hip and...