Sayan Bhattacharyya1, Nitesh Kumar Jaiswal1, Manoj Kumar2, Mohammad Aftab Alam Ansari1, Asim Sarfraz1
1Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.
2Department of General Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.
DOI: 10.4103/0976-9668.160046

ABSTRACT

Small colony variants (SCV) are persistent, intracellular morphotypes of Staphylococcus aureus causing indolent, subclinical infections. They are usually auxotrophic for Thymidine, menadione or carbon dioxide. Diagnosis is often misleading due to small colony type, delayed coagulase activity and lack of hemolysis. We hereby describe a case of CO 2 -auxotrophic SCV of S. aureus causing left breast abscess in a young female with duct atresia of breast, detected by increased colony size in CO 2 rich environment. SCVs can often be missed and have to be identified and treated properly.

Keywords: Auxotrophism, small colony variants, Staphylococcus aureus.

 

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