STENOTROPHOMONAS MALTOPHILIA - AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF BILIARY SEPSIS

We report three cases of cholangitis caused by Stenotrophomonas maltop hilia and review two other cases reported in the literature. All five episodes occurred in patients with hepatobiliary malignancy complicate d by biliary tract obstruction. All patients had undergone biliary tra ct instrumentation, Before infection developed, four of the five patie nts had received therapy with antibiotics that do not have in vitro ac tivity against this organism. Four patients responded to appropriate a ntibiotic therapy and biliary tract decompression, whereas the fifth p atient, who had persistent biliary obstruction, did not respond to app ropriate antibiotic therapy.