Introduction:
To report on the first recorded case of necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) in an immunocompromised individual caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in the Western Hemisphere and highlight the challenges that medical providers face in promptly diagnosing and treating NSTI in this highly vulnerable patient population.
Case presentation:
We report a case of NSTI caused by S. maltophilia in a neutropenic patient admitted for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient presented with laboratory and clinical findings atypical for a NSTI that may have confounded its diagnosis and delayed surgical intervention. Despite aggressive medical care and surgical debridement, the patient unfortunately passed away due to overwhelming septic shock.
Conclusions:
Providers should consider atypical organisms as causative in NSTI in immunocompromised patients and recognize that these patients may present without classic clinical and laboratory findings.