A PAPULAR ERUPTION SECONDARY TO INFECTION WITH CORYNEBACTERIUM-JEIKEIUM, WITH HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES MIMICKING BOTRYOMYCOSIS

Corynebacterium jeikeium has been increasingly recognized as a pathoge n, particularly in immuno-compromised patients and in those with a pro sthetic heart valve. Although cutaneous manifestations of C. jeikeium infection have been described, we have only found two case reports tha t give an histological description of the lesions. We present three pa tients with haematological malignancies who developed infection with C . jeikeium and a papular eruption. Skin biopsy disclosed similar histo logical features in all three patients, namely numerous Gram-positive bacteria enclosed in an eosinophilic matrix, with a minimal inflammato ry response. C. jeikeium was cultured from cutaneous lesions in two ca ses.