Community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia accompanied by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and hemophagocytic syndrome.

A 59-year-old woman without underlying disease was admitted to a local hospital because of lung abscess, cytopenias and renal failure. 3 days before admission, she was diagnosed as influenza infection and was under antiviral therapy. Blood cultures were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). She was transferred to our hospital on the 15th day at the local hospital because the clinical manifestations could not improve even though she was treated with multiple intravenous antibiotics directed against MSSA. Sputum cultures yielded methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) producing toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) and serologic test indicated hypercytokinemia. She was diagnosed as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and hemophagocytic syndrome associated with staphylococcal infection. The pulmonary lesions, cytopenias and renal dysfunction improved as a result of long-term antimicrobial treatment including vancomycin, hemodialysis, short-term administration of corticosteroid and other supportive cares. She was finally weaned from hemodialysis on the 73rd hospital day. In recent years, the number of cases of S. aureus producing TSST-1 and enterotoxin has been increasing and in cases of staphylococcal infections, close attention should be given to toxin-mediated as well as non-toxin-mediated clinical manifestations.