Infections with Chryseomonas luteola (CDC group Ve-1) and Flavimonas oryzihabitans (CDC group Ve-2) in neurosurgical patients.

During a 20-month period at Temple University Hospital, three cases of infection with bacteria of the Ve group--Chryseomonas luteola (CDC group Ve-1) and Flavimonas oryzihabitans (CDC group Ve-2)--were seen in neurosurgical patients. Two of the patients, including one with what is thought to be the first reported case of meningitis due to C. luteola, had complications caused by prosthetic material. A review of the literature revealed 14 well-described cases of infection with C. luteola or F. oryzihabitans, the majority of which were cases of bacteremia or peritonitis in patients undergoing dialysis. The presence of foreign material and the use of corticosteroids may predispose to and influence the course of disease. As prosthetic material becomes even more widely used, the incidence of infection with bacteria of the Ve group will likely increase and the manifestations of the infections will probably become more varied.