A novel case of bilateral tubo-ovarian abscesses attributed to Ruminococcus gnavus without gastrointestinal involvement

Anaerobe. 2021 Feb:67:102312. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2020.102312. Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Abstract

Ruminococcus gnavus is a Gram-positive anaerobe and normal gut commensal in the human host. There have been a small number of reported cases of infections attributed to R. gnavus, and no cases of urogenital infections have previously been published. We describe here a case of bilateral tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOAs) which cultured a pure growth of R. gnavus in a young female with concurrent deep infiltrating endometriosis and evidence of pelvic inflammatory disease. This case provides an insight into the behaviour of R. gnavus as a coloniser of the human host and provides further incentive to investigate its potentially pathogenic role in inflammatory conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease.

Keywords: Endometriosis; Pelvic inflammatory disease; Ruminococcus gnavus; Tubo-ovarian abscess.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Abscess / drug therapy
  • Abdominal Abscess / microbiology*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Clostridiales / drug effects
  • Clostridiales / isolation & purification*
  • Endometriosis
  • Fallopian Tube Diseases / drug therapy
  • Fallopian Tube Diseases / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnosis*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Ovarian Diseases / drug therapy
  • Ovarian Diseases / microbiology*
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents

Supplementary concepts

  • Ruminococcus gnavus