Corynebacterium

• Genus of Gram-positive club-shaped bacilli that form characteristic "Chinese letter" patterns on stain

Species	Diseases	Resistance
Corynebacterium Species
Corynebacterium afermentans subsp. afermentans	CLABSI
Corynebacterium amycolatum	healthcare-associated pneumonia, CLABSI, native valve endocarditis, prosthetic valve endocarditis, skin and soft tissue infection, surgical site infection
Corynebacterium confusum	skin and soft tissue infection
Corynebacterium diphtheriae	diphtheria, myocarditis
Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum	genitourinary infection, chronic prostatitis
Corynebacterium jeikeium	ventricular shunt infection, nosocomial meningitis, CLABSI, native valve endocarditis, prosthetic valve endocarditis, surgical site infection, prosthetic joint infection, CAPD peritonitis	mostly resistant to beta lactams, macrolides, and aminoglycosides
Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii	breast abscess
Corynebacterium macginleyi	conjunctivitis, keratitis, CLABSI
Corynebacterium minutissimum	skin and soft tissue infection, breast abscess, CLABSI, surgical site infection
Corynebacterium propinquum	conjunctivitis, keratitis, native valve endocarditis
Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum	conjunctivitis, keratitis, pharyngitis, native valve endocarditis, healthcare-associated pneumonia
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis	lymphadenitis, skin and soft tissue infection	may exhibit erm-mediated resistance to clindamycin and macrolides
Corynebacterium riegelii	genitourinary infection
Corynebacterium striatum	native joint infection, healthcare-associated pneumonia, CLABSI, native valve endocarditis, prosthetic valve endocarditis, surgical site infection	may exhibit erm-mediated resistance to clindamycin and macrolides
Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum	breast abscess
Corynebacterium ulcerans	diphtheria, pharyngitis, skin and soft tissue infection
Corynebacterium urealyticum	healthcare-associated pneumonia, CLABSI, native valve endocarditis, skin and soft tissue infection, surgical site infection, UTI, CAPD peritonitis	mostly resistant to beta lactams, macrolides, and aminoglycosides
Other Coryneform Bacteria
Arcanobacterium haemolyticum	pharyngitis, peritonsillar abscess, odontogenic infection, skin and soft tissue infection, native valve endocarditis
Brevibacterium	nosocomial meningitis, CAPD peritonitis
Brevibacterium casei	CLABSI, prosthetic valve endocarditis
Cellulosimicrobium
Dermabacter	CAPD peritonitis
Microbacterium	CLABSI
Oerskovia	CLABSI
Rothia dentocariosa	odontogenic infection, native valve endocarditis, CAPD peritonitis
Trueperella bernardiae	CLABSI
Trueperella pyogenes	skin and soft tissue infection, CLABSI

Management

• The only reliable treatment options are vancomycin, daptomycin, and linezolid1
  • Tetracycline and TMP-SMX are sometimes options depending on the species and isolate
  • See also for a recent summary of susceptibilities in Ontario