A late sternal wound infection caused by hematogenous spread of bacteria.

A 56-year-old man presented with a sternotomy wound infection 6 months after coronary artery bypass grafting. The organism responsible was group B beta-hemolytic Streptococcus. This organism was simultaneously cultured from an infected diabetic ulcer on the patient's foot as well as from a total knee prosthesis. The Streptococcus apparently spread hematogenously to the sternum, an extremely rare cause of sternotomy wound infection.