Chronic chest wall abscess caused by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Dublin infection in an HIV-infected patient: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Dublin (S. Dublin) is a cattle host-adapted serotype, and often causes bacteremia in human. Focal abscess caused by this pathogen is very rare, especially in those who are immunocompromised. Here, we report for the first time a case of chronic chest wall abscess caused by S. Dublin in a 51-year-old HIV-infected woman who was admitted to hospital due to chest pain which had persisted for nine months. The patient had very low CD4 count and a very high virus load. However, S. Dublin had not invaded her blood. After surgical drainage and antimicrobial treatment, the patient was discharged and did not complain chest pain at her 12-month follow up. This case suggests that S. Dublin infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis in HIV-infected patients with chronic subcutaneous abscess.