# Solobacterium moorei sepsis secondary to flexor tenosynovitis: a case report and review of literature

## TL;DR

A rare case of Solobacterium moorei sepsis is reported, highlighting its identification and treatment in a patient with a skin infection.

## Contribution

This case report adds to the limited literature on S. moorei sepsis and highlights the use of MALDI-TOF for identification.

## Key findings

- S. moorei was identified using MALDI-TOF instead of traditional 16s RNA sequencing.
- The patient recovered after surgical drainage and antibiotic treatment with aminopenicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitor.
- Literature review shows S. moorei is generally susceptible to penicillins and carbapenems but may resist metronidazole and others.

## Abstract

Solobacterium moorei is a gram-positive, non-sporulating, strict anaerobic bacillus and an uncommon human pathogen typically found in skin and soft tissue infections. Additionally, S. moorei is a rare cause of severe infections associated with bacteremia.

We report a case of a 56-year-old African American man with S. moorei bacteremia, likely due to a bite wound, and review 25 previously reported cases. The patient recovered after incision and drainage of flexor tenosynovitis and treatment with 15 days of aminopenicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitor antibiotics.

S. moorei was identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, whereas most other reports used 16s RNA sequencing. Literature review indicates isolates are typically susceptible to penicillins, beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors, carbapenems, and 3rd/4th-generation cephalosporins but may be resistant to metronidazole, levofloxacin, and rifampin. Improvements in diagnostic methods may lead to more frequent identification of S. moorei in cases of severe sepsis.