Clostridium septicum bacteremia. Its clinical significance.

The medical records of 59 patients with Clostridium septicum bacteremia were reviewed; 42 (71 per cent) of these patients had malignancies. One half had hematologic malignancies, and one half had solid tumors. Of the 21 patients with solid tumors, 14 (67 per cent) had cancer of the colon. Among these patients, the cecum was the most frequent site of malignancy. The cecum and distal ileum were the most probable portals of entry for C. septicum bacteremia among the 28 patients examined at autopsy. Patients admitted to the hospital with C. septicum bacteremia usually have fulminating clinical courses and, unless the appropriate antibiotics are administered soon after admission, the outcome is fatal. The results of this study demonstrate the high association of C. septicum bacteremia and malignancy, and the need for early recognition and therapy.