Bacterial oesophagitis in an immunocompromised patient.

Bacterial oesophagitis is an uncommon and poorly described entity affecting particularly the immunosuppressed patient. The diagnosis rests on the demonstration of bacterial invasion of the oesophageal wall in the absence of other pathological processes. The causative organisms usually are Gram-positive cocci and there may be associated bacteraemia. The case report describes a leukaemic patient with bacteraemic bacterial oesophagitis.