Lifesaving liver transplantation for multi-organ failure caused by Bacillus cereus food poisoning.

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is a spore-forming, gram-positive bacterium that causes food poisoning presenting with either emesis or diarrhea. Diarrhea is caused by proteinaceous enterotoxin complexes, mainly hemolysin BL, non-hemolytic enterotoxin (NHE), and cytotoxin K. In contrast, emesis is caused by the ingestion of the depsipeptide toxin cereulide, which is produced in B. cereus contaminated food, particularly in pasta or rice. In general, the illness is mild and self-limiting. However, due to cereulide intoxication, nine severe cases with rhabdomyolysis and/or liver failure, five of them lethal, are reported in literature. Here we report the first case of life-threatening liver failure and severe rhabdomyolysis in this context that could not be survived without emergency hepatectomy and consecutive liver transplantation.

• Authors: Eva Tschiedel, Peter-Michael Rath, Jörg Steinmann, Heinz Becker, Rudolf Dietrich, Andreas Paul, Ursula Felderhoff-Müser, Christian Dohna-Schwake
• Journal: Pediatric transplantation (Pediatr Transplant) Vol. 19 Issue 1 Pg. E11-4 (Feb 2015) ISSN: 1399-3046 [Electronic] Denmark
• PMID: 25323120 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Bacillus cereus
• Emergency Treatment
• Foodborne Diseases (microbiology, surgery)
• Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections (surgery)
• Hepatectomy
• Humans
• Liver Failure (microbiology, surgery)
• Liver Transplantation
• Male