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Case Report
Sarcina ventriculi-associated with chemotherapy-induced ischemic-like gastric injury in a patient with transformed high-grade B-cell lymphoma: A case report
1 MD, Pathology Department, McLaren Flint, 401 S. Ballenger Hwy, Flint, MI, USA
Address correspondence to:
Baraa Alosh
Pathology Department, McLaren Flint, 401 S. Ballenger Hwy, Flint, MI 48532,
USA
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Article ID: 100036Z11WA2020
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Alkaram W, Liu W, Alosh B. Sarcina ventricul-iassociated with chemotherapy-induced ischemic-like gastric injury in a patient with transformed high-grade B-cell lymphoma: A case report. J Case Rep Images Pathol 2020;6:100036Z11WA2020.ABSTRACT
Introduction: Sarcina ventriculi is a Gram-positive coccus bacterium that has a distinctive morphologic appearance resembling the chambers of a heart. It is widely spread in the soil and can contaminate the food. However, it rarely causes a disease in a healthy individual. There has been a recent surging in the reporting of S. ventriculi in the medical literature, particularly in patients with delayed gastric emptying for various reasons. It can be associated with life-threatening conditions, such as emphysematous gastritis and perforation.
Case Report: We report here the first case of S. ventriculi in association with a chemotherapy-treated patient for a lymphoma. An 81-year-old man with a history of high-grade B-cell lymphoma status-post-chemotherapy, presented with abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss. There was no evidence of relapsed lymphoma by imaging studies. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a gastric mucosa with a large mass effect and erythema. Histologic examination showed ischemic-like gastritis with numerous basophilic microorganisms with morphology consistent with S. ventriculi. The patient was discharged with a course of antibiotics, including metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and vancomycin.
Conclusion: Recognizing S. ventriculi in gastric biopsies is essential because some cases can be associated with severe morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with previous morbidities like malignancies.
Keywords: Chemotherapy, Gastritis, Lymphoma, Sarcina ventriculi
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Author Contributions
Waed Alkaram - Acquisition of data, Drafting the article, Final approval of the version to be published
Weimin Liu - Interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Baraa Alosh - Interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guarantor of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2020 Waed Alkaram et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
