An unusual case of abdominal pain and splenomegaly in a paediatric patient

Abstract

Fusobacterium species are members of the oral microbiota and have been found to cause a wide spectrum of opportunistic infections. We describe the case of a previously healthy teenager with a large splenic abscess secondary to Fusobacterium nucleatum, successfully managed with percutaneous drainage and intravenous antibiotics. Identification of the organism was achieved using anaerobic culture of the aspirated fluid and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight, later confirmed by 16S ribosomal RNA metagenomic sequencing of the fluid. Fusobacteria are typically associated with oropharyngeal infections but are very rarely implicated in splenic abscesses. Aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures should be drawn when an intra-abdominal infection is suspected in a paediatric patient, and empiric antimicrobial therapy should be administered with coverage for gram-positive, gram-negative, and anaerobic bacteria.