[Persistent and recurrent skin and soft tissue infections by Staphylococcus aureus. Impact of the small colony-variant (SCV) phenotype and of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive S. aureus isolates].

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major pathogens causing chronic skin and soft tissue infections. Particularly isolates producing Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) comprising methicillin-susceptible and community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) have been associated with more aggressive and persistent or relapsing courses. Beyond classical resistance mechanisms, functional resistance as shown by the small colony-variant (SCV) phenotype could be also responsible for treatment failures, despite the administration of antibiotics tested in vitro as susceptible. Also this phenotype has been associated with chronic courses of infections often with multiple exacerbations. Due to their ability to persist intracellularly, SCVs are protected from host defense and antibiotic treatment if only extracellularly active agents are administered. Reduced growth, abnormal colony morphology and changes in the metabolism of the SCVs aggravate drastically their identification, differentiation and susceptibility testing. The diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of PVL-positive and SCV isolates necessitate close collaboration with microbiological and infectious disease specialists.