CORYNEBACTERIUM STRIATUM MENINGITIS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT CORYNEBACTERIUM SPECIES

For a long time, corynebacteria were considered simple cutaneous conta minants with little potential pathogenicity. Corynebacterium striatum is a known saprophytic cutaneous bacterium; however, in the last decad e, this organism has been increasingly recognized as a pathogen. It ha s been mostly implicated in respiratory tract and blood infections. To our knowledge, we report the first case of meningitis due to C. stria tum. Treatment with intravenous vancomycin resulted in therapeutic suc cess. We also thoroughly review all previously reported cases of C. st riatum infection. Identification of Corynebacterium species can be dif ficult because of rapid taxonomic changes, and susceptibility testing for these microorganisms is not yet standardized. However, because of their growing clinical importance, data on these bacteria are accumula ting.