An Autopsy Case of Clostridium Perfringens Septicemia with Massive Hemolysis Following Gastric Surgery

Masahiko Koike, Yasuhiro Kodera, Yoshitaka Yamamura and Akimasa Nakao^*

Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital Department of Surgery II, Facalty of Medicine, Nagoya University^*

This report describes about a patient who died of septicemia accompanied with massive hemolysis that occurred after surgery for gastric carcinoma. Blood culture revealed Clostridium perfringens to be the causative agent for this septicemia with acute onset and fulminant clinical course. A small liver abscess was found at autopsy with no other apparent focus of infection, so that the route of Clostridium perfringens infection was estimated to be translocation from the gastointestinal tract. Despite its rality, Clostridium perfringens septicemia with massive hemolysis should be recognized as one of possible postoperative complications following gastrointestinal operation, because prompt diagnosis followed by appropriate treatment is essential for saving the patient.

Key words
Clostridium perfringens, sepsis, hemolysis

Reprint requests
Masahiko Koike Department of Surgery II, Nagoya University School of Medicine 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku Nagoya, 466-8550 JAPAN

Accepted
April 25, 2001

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