Listeria Monocytogenes Septicemia in the Setting of an Ulcerative Colitis Flare

A 51-year-old patient with a history of ulcerative colitis was admitted after three days of bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. The patient had been trialing different immunosuppressive therapies over the past year. An acute flare of ulcerative colitis was confirmed, and our patient began to improve upon IV methylprednisolone. Blood cultures on admission were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. IV ampicillin and gentamicin were begun for treatment. Upon discharge, the patient was switched to high-dose amoxicillin. This case report shows that Listeria can be a cause of septicemia in ulcerative colitis patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy.