Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2015
Streptococcus bovis Bacteremia: Association with Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease in a Predominantly Hispanic Population.
Streptococcus bovis bacteremia has been associated with gastrointestinal diseases, especially colon cancer, neoplastic colon polyps, and other malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. Studies have suggested an association with chronic liver parenchymal and biliary tract disorders. We report a series of patients with S. bovis bacteremia in a county hospital in a US city on the border of Mexico to examine the demographic and clinical associations. ⋯ Our finding in a series of predominantly Hispanic patients with S. bovis bacteremia in a county hospital setting was consistent with the previously reported association with gastrointestinal disease. Findings on colonoscopy included colonic polyps and colitis, although no cases of colon cancer were found. Chronic liver disease was a common concurrent illness and cholangitis also occurred. There was a significant mortality rate in adults.