{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,7]],"date-time":"2026-04-07T16:45:23Z","timestamp":1775580323884,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774828800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    <jats:italic>Clostridium septicum<\/jats:italic>\n                    , an anaerobic spore-forming Gram-positive bacillus, is a rare opportunistic pathogen that causes severe infections with rapid progression and high mortality. Trauma with unmanaged contaminated wounds is a major risk factor, and atypical presentations such as tetanus-like neuromuscular symptoms often lead to misdiagnosis. Herein, we report a 72-year-old male farmer with\n                    <jats:italic>C. septicum<\/jats:italic>\n                    and\n                    <jats:italic>Enterobacter cloacae<\/jats:italic>\n                    co-infection following a traumatic toe laceration, presenting with trismus, limited mouth opening, and right toe gangrene. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of\n                    <jats:italic>C. septicum<\/jats:italic>\n                    infection mimicking tetanus and the importance of comprehensive etiological testing and multidisciplinary management. We also review relevant literature to provide insights for clinical practice.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1793472","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T04:12:45Z","timestamp":1774843965000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Case Report: A case of severe infection caused by Clostridium septicum: a literature review"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Jing","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, The 943th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of Chinese People\u2019s Liberation Army, Wuwei","place":["Gansu, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lu","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA), Chengdu","place":["Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuyun","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA), Chengdu","place":["Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"You","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, The 943th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of Chinese People\u2019s Liberation Army, Wuwei","place":["Gansu, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuanqing","family":"Qu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA), Chengdu","place":["Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA), Chengdu","place":["Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijantimicag.2018.07.009","article-title":"Comparative efficacy of antibiotics in treating experimental Clostridium septicum infection.","volume":"52","author":"Aldape","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Antimicrob Agents."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2005.10.039","article-title":"Genetic variation and cross-reactivity of Clostridium septicum alpha-toxin.","volume":"114","author":"Amimoto","year":"2006","journal-title":"Vet Microbiol."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"948","DOI":"10.1007\/s10156-012-0394-7","article-title":"Clostridium septicum aortitis in a patient with extensive atheromatous disease of the aorta.","volume":"18","author":"Annapureddy","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Infect Chemother."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e757","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2004-0124","article-title":"Clostridium septicum myonecrosis in congenital neutropenia.","volume":"114","author":"Barnes","year":"2004","journal-title":"Pediatrics."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e922","DOI":"10.1128\/genomeA.00922-16","article-title":"Complete genome sequence of Clostridium septicum strain CSUR P1044, isolated from the human gut microbiota.","volume":"4","author":"Benamar","year":"2016","journal-title":"Genome Announcements."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"784","DOI":"10.1128\/iai.60.3.784-790.1992","article-title":"Purification and characterization of the lethal toxin (alpha-toxin) of Clostridium septicum.","volume":"60","author":"Ballard","year":"1992","journal-title":"Infect Immun."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"516","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins7020516","article-title":"The pore-forming \u03b1-toxin from Clostridium septicum activates the MAPK pathway in a Ras-c-Raf-dependent and independent manner.","volume":"7","author":"Chakravorty","year":"2015","journal-title":"Toxins."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"509","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejvs.2018.12.022","article-title":"Emphysematous aortitis by Clostridium septicum: a rare and lethal complication of right colon cancer.","volume":"57","author":"Curtis-Mart\u00ednez","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e38","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2014.08.032","article-title":"Acute aortic dissection caused by Clostridium septicum aortitis.","volume":"244","author":"Eplinius","year":"2014","journal-title":"Forensic Sci Int."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"769","DOI":"10.21037\/jgo.2018.04.07","article-title":"The gut microbiome and colorectal cancer: a review of bacterial pathogenesis.","volume":"9","author":"Dahmus","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Gastrointest Oncol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e95","DOI":"10.1308\/rcsann.2021.0153","article-title":"Atraumatic Clostridium septicum myonecrosis presenting as upper limb ischaemia in a patient with undiagnosed bowel cancer.","volume":"104","author":"Bickerton","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ann R Coll Surg Engl."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-023-08160-9","article-title":"60-year-old male with rapidly progressive pneumocephalus caused by Clostridium septicum in the setting of an occult colonic adenocarcinoma.","volume":"23","author":"Helmink","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e01129","DOI":"10.1016\/j.idcr.2021.e01129","article-title":"Rapidly progressive and fatal distant spontaneous gas gangrene due to Clostridium septicum after biopsy of malignant cecal mass.","volume":"24","author":"Sivasubramanian","year":"2021","journal-title":"IDCases."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.1186\/s12883-016-0755-4","article-title":"Ischaemic stroke and Clostridium septicum sepsis and meningitis in a patient with occult colon carcinoma - a case report and review of the literature.","volume":"16","author":"Macha","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMC Neurol."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.3760\/cma.j.cn311365-20220811-00343","article-title":"A case of septic Clostridium perfringens gas gangrene and sepsis secondary to pyogenic liver abscess.","volume":"41","author":"Tang Qinfang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chin J Infect Dis."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102719","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anaerobe.2023.102719","article-title":"Gas gangrene caused by spontaneous Clostridium septicum infection: a case study.","volume":"80","author":"Heino","year":"2023","journal-title":"Anaerobe."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"733","DOI":"10.1007\/s15010-024-02401-y","article-title":"Gas gangrene with Clostridium septicum in a neutropenic patient.","volume":"53","author":"Perl","year":"2025","journal-title":"Infection."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1007\/s15010-012-0366-y","article-title":"Clostridium septicum gas gangrene in the orbit: a case report.","volume":"41","author":"Fejes","year":"2013","journal-title":"Infection."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1681","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-025-11852-z","article-title":"Clostridium septicum causing aortic aneurysm, spondylodiscitis, and epidural abscess in an immunocompetent man.","volume":"25","author":"Fritzell","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.13107\/jocr.2024.v14.i11.4912","article-title":"Clostridium Septicum: cause of gas gangrene in the upper extremity leading to proximal trans-humeral amputation, a review of Clostridium septicum.","volume":"14","author":"LaGreca","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Orthop Case Rep."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"000825.v3","DOI":"10.1099\/acmi.0.000825.v3","article-title":"Fatal Clostridium septicum gas gangrene complicating ECMO: case report and review of literature.","volume":"6","author":"Turban","year":"2024","journal-title":"Access Microbiol."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e84715","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.84715","article-title":"Spontaneous necrotizing soft tissue infection and fatal Clostridium septicum septicemia in myelodysplastic syndrome: a case report and comprehensive literature review.","volume":"17","author":"Achebe","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cureus."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1013","DOI":"10.3969\/j.issn.1002-1949.2025.12.001","article-title":"Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of adult tetanus in emergency medicine.","volume":"45","year":"2025","journal-title":"Chin J Crit Care Med."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"664","DOI":"10.3969\/j.issn.1006-2785.2008.06.067","article-title":"Consensus on diagnosis and treatment of clostridial myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene).","volume":"30","year":"2008","journal-title":"Zhejiang Med."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1793472\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,7]],"date-time":"2026-04-07T15:46:35Z","timestamp":1775576795000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1793472\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"references-count":24,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2026.1793472"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1793472","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"article-number":"1793472"}}