Disseminated "Haemophilus quentini" infection in a patient with multiple myeloma - a case report and review of the literature

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019 Jul;94(3):293-296. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.02.004. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Abstract

We describe a case report of a 56-year-old male with undiagnosed multiple myeloma who had severe sepsis associated with pneumonia, meningitis, polyarthritis, and osteomyelitis related to invasive "Haemophilus quentini" infection. The genus was misidentified as H. influenzae by the common bacterial identification systems including newly introduced syndromic PCR-based methods. We review the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects of this rare, cryptic species of Haemophilus.

Keywords: Biofire; FilmArray; Haemophilus; Immunosuppression; Influenzae; MALDI-TOF; Meningitis; Misidentification; Multiple myeloma; Nontypable; Osteomyelitis; PCR; Pneumonia; Polyarthritis; Quentini; VITEK2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Female
  • Haemophilus / classification*
  • Haemophilus / isolation & purification*
  • Haemophilus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Haemophilus Infections / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Myeloma / complications*
  • Sepsis / diagnosis*
  • Sepsis / pathology*