Recovery of anaerobic bacteria from 3 patients with infection at a pierced body site.

We describe 3 adolescents who developed infections due to anaerobes at pierced body sites: the nipple, the umbilicus, and the nasal septum. Anaerobes (Prevotella intermedia and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius) were recovered from pure culture of specimens obtained from 1 patient with nipple infection and were mixed with aerobic bacteria in cultures of specimens obtained from 2 patients (Streptococcus aureus, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Prevotella melaninogenica were recovered from a patient with nasal septum infection, and Bacteroides fragilis and Enterococcus faecalis were recovered from a patient with umbilical infection). The infection resolved in all patients after removal of the ornaments and use of antimicrobial drug treatment.