Mediastinitis Due to Multiply Resistant Corynebacterium xerosis

Corynebacterium xerosis , an organism infrequently responsible for human infections, is part of the normal flora of the nasopharynx and skin. It has been reported as a cause of endocarditis. The other infections due to this organism that have been reported occurred mainly in immunocompromised hosts, these infections include septicemia, pleuropneumonia, septic arthritis, and vertebral osteomyelitis. Strains of C. xerosis responsible for these infections were found to be susceptible to penicillin, erythromycin, and most of the usual antibiotics used against gram-positive organisms. We report herein an isolated case of mediastinitis caused by a multiply resistant strain of C. xerosis .