Klebsiella ozaenae sepsis in a young healthy male.

INTRODUCTION: K. ozaenae is a weak pathogenic organism known to cause primary atrophic rhinitis or ozena. There are few reports that the bacteria could cause serious invasive infection in debilitated patients. This is first report of K. ozaenae in a young previously healthy adult.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old Filipino male with no significant previous medical history presented with severe frontal headache of two days duration with fever and chills. Blood and serum work-up showed leukocytosis, mild thrombocytopenia, hypomagnesemia, hypokalemia, and hypophopatemia. Liver function test indicated elevated bilirubin and transaminases. CT of the head indicated sinus disease including mucoperiosteal-like thickening of the right maxillary sinus, left mastoid hypoaeration and sclerosis characteristics of chronic inflammation. Blood culture grew gram negative rods identified as Klebsiella ozaenae species.

CONCLUSION: Klebisella ozaenae sepsis is rarely reported in medical literature. There are about 12 case reports all of which identified with one or more chronic conditions causing decline in patient immunity resulting in invasive infection by the weak pathogen. Our patient is a young physically active adult male with no identifiable risk factors except chronic ozena-like infection that might serve as a source for haematologic seeding.