Clostridium perfringens Bacteremia Secondary to Stercoral Colitis in a Patient With Advanced Parkinson’s Disease: A Rare Case Report
<i>Clostridium perfringens</i> infections are often associated with high mortality and typically result from soft tissue infections. Stercoral colitis, a complication of fecal infection, is more frequently linked to gram-negative bacteremia. We present a rare case of <i>C. perfringens</i> bacteremia caused by stercoral colitis. A 62-year-old woman with advanced Parkinson's disease, dementia, and immobility presented with altered mental status. Stroke was ruled out. Blood cultures grew <i>C. perfringens</i> without signs of soft tissue infection. A CT of the abdomen showed stercoral colitis with fecal impaction. She was treated with a seven-day course of intravenous metronidazole and an aggressive bowel regimen. She remained hemodynamically stable and was discharged in stable condition for outpatient follow-up. This case highlights stercoral colitis as a potential source of C. perfringens bacteremia even without perforation or soft tissue involvement. Early antibiotics, bowel decompression, and nutritional support can improve outcomes in high-risk patients.
Authors
- Cheyenne Moffett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3566-4769)
- Jaskaran Singh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2465-8730)
- Shreya Muralidharan
- Sorabh Sharma
- Nidhay Prakashkar
Institutions
- Government Medical College (IN)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Institute of Medical Sciences (IN)
- B.J. Medical College (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2026-02-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.103471
- Primary Topic
- Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00