A polymicrobial opportunistic infection leading to osteolytic destruction and acute respiratory failure: a case report
Abstract
Background: Polymicrobial infections involving opportunistic pathogens pose major diagnostic challenges, as clinical symptoms and imaging findings are often nonspecific. Comprehensive pathogen identification is essential for effective management.
Case presentation: This report describes a case of polymicrobial infection caused by Cryptococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus, and Mycobacterium abscessus in a diabetic patient. A 67-year-old male presented with cough, sputum production, and bone pain. Chest computed tomography revealed a cavitary lesion in the posterior segment of the left lower lobe. Histopathology of lung biopsy confirmed pulmonary cryptococcosis. Respiratory symptoms initially improved with antifungal therapy, but bone pain persisted. After treatment discontinuation, symptoms recurred and worsened, accompanied by fever and respiratory failure. Sputum culture grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and next-generation sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed concurrent infections with Mycobacterium abscessus and Aspergillus fumigatus. Ultimately, the patient recovered and was discharged after targeted therapy.
Conclusions: This case underscores the inadequacy of single-pathogen frameworks in complex polymicrobial infections and highlights the clinical value of repeated assessment and a multimodal diagnostic approach. Early recognition of polymicrobial opportunistic infections may help prevent disease progression and improve clinical outcomes in…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Structural and topological analysis of thiosemicarbazone-based metal complexes: computational and experimental study of bacterial biofilm inhibition and antioxidant activity
- Toward better cures for Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease
- Challenges for global antibiotic regimen planning and establishing antimicrobial resistance targets: implications for the WHO Essential Medicines List and AWaRe antibiotic book dosing
- Design, Synthesis and In vitro Antitubercular Effect of New Chalcone Derivatives Coupled with 1,2,3‐Triazoles: A Computational Docking Techniques
- Upregulation of pmrA, pmrB, pmrC, phoQ, phoP, and arnT genes contributing to resistance to colistin in superbug Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from human clinical samples in Tehran, Iran
- Whole-genome sequencing of clinical isolates of Citrobacter Europaeus in China carrying blaOXA−48 and blaNDM−1
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.