https://doi.org/10.4081/mm.2025.13264
Faucial diphtheria infection caused due to Corynebacterium striatum in a paediatric patient – A rare case report from central India
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 5 June 2025
Medically relevant Corynebacterium species include Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and non-diphtherial Corynebacteria. A part of the normal flora of the skin and mucous membranes, non-diphtherial Corynebacteria, which is frequently dismissed as a contaminant, has an important role in clinical disease. In the last decades, the pathogenicity among other Corynebacterium spp. has been increasingly reported.
This case report presents a rare occurrence of faucial diphtheria caused by Corynebacterium striatum in a 13-year-old female patient. Molecular analysis confirmed C. striatum, which was non-toxigenic by Elek’s gel precipitation test.
This case underscores the need for heightened awareness of non-diphtherial Corynebacteria as emerging pathogens, their diagnosis and accurate treatment.
Downloads
Boltin D, Katzir M, Bugoslavsky V, et al. Corynebacterium striatum - a classic pathogen eluding diagnosis. Eur J Intern Med 2009;20:e49-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2008.08.009
Díez-Aguilar M, Ruiz-Garbajosa P, Fernández-Olmos A, et al. Non-diphtheriae Corynebacterium species: an emerging respiratory 400 pathogen. Eur J Clin Microbiol 2013;32:769-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1805-5
Kumar MB, Pahil S, Yadav S, et al. Diptheroids can cause nosocomial UTI and be multidrug resistant: A case report of Corynebacterium striatum, first from India. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology 2024;47:100513. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmmb.2023.100513
Lartigue MF, Monnet X, Le Flèche A, et al. Corynebacterium ulcerans in an immunocompromised patient with diphtheria and her dog. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2005;43:999-1001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.43.2.999-1001.2005
Mancini F, Monaco M, Pataracchia M, et al. Identification and molecular discrimination of toxigenic and nontoxigenic diphtheria Corynebacterium strains by combined real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease. 2012;73:111-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2012.02.022
Noussair L, Salomon E, El Sayed F, et al. Monomicrobial bone and joint infection due to Corynebacterium striatum: literature review and amoxicillin-rifampin combination as treatment perspective. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2019;38:1269-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-019-03542-x
Otsuka Y, Ohkusu K, Kawamura Y, et al. Emergence of 405 multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium striatum as a nosocomial pathogen in long-term 406 hospitalized patients with underlying diseases. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2006;54:109-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2005.08.005
Parte AC. LPSN-list of prokaryotic names with standing in nomenclature. Nucleic Acids Res 2014;1:D613-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkt1111
Silva-Santana G, Silva CMF, Olivella JGB, et al. Worldwide survey of Corynebacterium striatum increasingly associated with human invasive infections, nosocomial outbreak, and antimicrobial multidrug-resistance, 1976-2020. Arch Microbiol 2021;203:1863-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-021-02246-1
Trivedi GR, Merchant SS. Corynebacterium striatum: a true pathogen in chronic contiguous osteomyelitis. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology 2024;2024:5020721. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5020721
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.