Empyema Caused by Mixed Infection with Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus constellatus in a Patient with Previous Surgery for Oral Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Abstract

Background: The incidence of community-acquired empyema caused by the Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) has been on the rise in the 2020s. To the best of our knowledge, while empyema caused individually by either strain has been reported, there are no reports on empyema caused by concurrent infection with these two strains. Here, we report for the first time empyema caused by concurrent infection with Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus constellatus (both SAG species) in a postoperative patient who had been treated for floor of the mouth carcinoma.

Case presentation: A 61-year-old male patient who had undergone surgical treatment for floor of the mouth carcinoma 2 year earlier suddenly presented with left-sided chest pain. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed encapsulated pleural effusion on the left side, which was diagnosed as empyema. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS) of the pleural fluid sample indicated mixed infection caused by Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus constellatus. The patient's condition improved about 5 weeks after treatment with thoracic fluid drainage and cephalosporin antibiotics.

Conclusion: This case highlights the possibility of concurrent infection with two SAG strains in patients with empyema. Currently, it is unclear whether there is a definitive relationship between a surgical history of carcinoma of the floor of the mouth and empyema caused by infection with SAG strains. This case could, perhaps, serve as a reference for future related research on the topic.