Infections caused by Fusobacterium in children: a 14-year single-center experience

Purpose This study aimed at reviewing our experience with infections caused by Fusobacterium in children. Methods A retrospective analysis of medical records of children admitted to Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center from 2000 to 2013, in whom Fusobacterium spp. was identified in any specimen. Results A total of 22 patients (males = 12) at a mean ± SE age of 5 ± 1 (range 1–17) years, were identified. The most common complication was abscess formation ( n = 11, 50 %). Eight children (36.4 %) had intracranial complications, including brain abscess ( n = 4), meningitis ( n = 4) and cerebral sinus vein thrombosis (CSVT, n = 5). Seventeen children (77 %) had bacteremia. Primary site of infection was otogenic ( n = 9), oropharyngeal ( n = 7), respiratory ( n = 2), sinuses ( n = 2), intra-abdominal ( n = 1) and mucositis ( n = 1). Fourteen cases were caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum , including four cases with CSVT, 7/8 cases of mastoiditis, four of them with subperiosteal abscess formation; all four cases with meningitis and two brain abscesses. Fifteen (68 %) patients required surgical intervention and 3 (14 %) received anti-coagulation therapy. Excluding one patient with overwhelming sepsis with fatal outcome, all patients recovered. Conclusions Fusobacterium infections in children can cause a diverse spectrum of disease and is associated with high rates of abscess formation and intracranial complications. Although Fusobacterium nucleatum is abundant in the oral cavity, F. necrophorum is the main pathogen that causes severe infections in healthy children.