Successful intervention for overwhelming postsplenectomy infection caused by non-vaccine pneumococcal serotype 23A

The spleen plays an important role in the body’s immune defense against invasive infections, particularly those caused by encapsulated bacteria. Encapsulated bacterial infection in asplenic patients is a medical emergency called overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI) and has a mortality rate of 50–70%. Here, we report the case of a 51-year-old Asian man who complained of emesis and diarrhea as primary symptoms. He rapidly progressed to coma and was eventually diagnosed with OPSI (pyogenic ventriculitis/spondylitis) caused by non-vaccine pneumococcal serotype 23A. Aggressive management, including empiric antibiotic therapy, a staircase approach for intracranial pressure-targeted therapy and laminectomy/laminoplasty, resulted in a good recovery. Our report highlights that non-vaccine pneumococcal serotypes can cause disease in vaccinated patients.