Campylobacter rectus Thoracic Empyema in a Severely Malnourished Host With Preserved Conventional Immune Markers: A Case Report and Literature Review.
- 1Internal Medicine, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, PHL.
- 2Medicine, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, USA.
- 3Infectious Disease, Regional Medical Center, Anniston, USA.
Abstract
Campylobacter rectus is a fastidious, anaerobic to microaerophilic gram-negative bacillus best recognized as a key periodontopathogen residing in the oral cavity. This organism is generally confined to the subgingival flora and rarely causes disease beyond the oral cavity. However, invasive extraoral infection with C. rectus has been described in isolated case reports, and thoracic empyema caused by this organism remains exceptionally rare, with diagnosis often delayed due to its fastidious growth requirements and low clinical suspicion. We present the case of a malnourished patient with poor dentition who developed thoracic empyema due to C. rectus. This case underscores the importance of considering fastidious oral commensals in the differential diagnosis of culture-negative empyema and highlights poor dentition as an under-recognized source of invasive infection in vulnerable hosts.
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BibTeX
@article{marcelo2026campylobacter,
title = {{Campylobacter rectus Thoracic Empyema in a Severely Malnourished Host With Preserved Conventional Immune Markers: A Case Report and Literature Review.}},
author = {Janiza Anne Claire M Marcelo and Gabriela Carrillo and Raul Magadia},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116841},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927115},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Campylobacter rectus Thoracic Empyema in a Severely Malnourished Host With Preserved Conventional Immune Markers: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AU - Janiza Anne Claire M Marcelo
AU - Gabriela Carrillo
AU - Raul Magadia
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116841
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927115
AB - Campylobacter rectus is a fastidious, anaerobic to microaerophilic gram-negative bacillus best recognized as a key periodontopathogen residing in the oral cavity. This organism is generally confined to the subgingival flora and rarely causes disease beyond the oral cavity. However, invasive extraoral infection with C. rectus has been described in isolated case reports, and thoracic empyema caused by this organism remains exceptionally rare, with diagnosis often delayed due to its fastidious growth requirements and low clinical suspicion. We present the case of a malnourished patient with poor dentition who developed thoracic empyema due to C. rectus. This case underscores the importance of considering fastidious oral commensals in the differential diagnosis of culture-negative empyema and highlights poor dentition as an under-recognized source of invasive infection in vulnerable hosts.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -