Raoultella ornithinolytica and Klebsiella oxytoca pyogenic liver abscess presenting as chronic cough
Asif Surani, Eliza Slama, Samantha Thomas, Robert W. Ross, Steven C. Cunningham
Abstract
• To our knowledge, it is the first documented case of a liver abscess caused by Raoultella ornithinolytica . • Liver abscess can have subtle presentation including chronic cough. Raoultella ornithinolytica is a Gram-negative rod belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family and closely related to Klebsiella spp. It is commonly present in aquatic environments. Human infections caused by R. ornithinolytica are being increasingly recognized. It has been documented to cause various hospital-acquired infections including but not limited to gastrointestinal, skin, and genitourinary infections. The organism has been particularly associated with invasive procedures and is commonly seen in patients with malignancy, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and immunodeficiency. To our knowledge, we report the first case of pyogenic liver abscess caused by this organism. The patient presented subtly with a chronic, nonresolving cough and was managed successfully by surgical drainage and appropriate antimicrobials.