Helicobacter cinaedi bacteremia with cellulitis in a living-donor kidney transplant recipient identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: a case report

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter cinaedi causes bacteremia and cellulitis, mainly in immunocompromised patients. We report a rare case of H. cinaedi bacteremia with cellulitis in a living-donor kidney transplant recipient identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). CASE SUMMARY: A 54-year-old Asian man with IgA nephropathy underwent living-donor kidney transplantation 14 years previously. He was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of fever and multifocal cellulitis. H. cinaedi was isolated and identified from the patient’s blood using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and gyrase subunit B-targeted polymerase chain reaction assays. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has proven over the years to be a rapid and accurate universal method for the identification of microorganisms. CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of these detection methods enabled the appropriate administration of 6 weeks of antibiotic therapy. The patient recovered completely, with no recurrence.