Cutaneous and pharyngeal diphtheria imported from the Indian subcontinent.

Hart, P E; Lee, P Y; Macallan, D C; Wansbrough-Jones, M H · Postgrad Med J · 1996

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

We report the case of a 32-year-old woman who presented upon returning from India with cutaneous ulcers on the feet and pharyngitis. Microbiological testing showed the causative organism to be a toxigenic strain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. She was treated successfully with penicillin and diphtheria antitoxin. This case emphasises the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for such rare but significant infectious diseases.

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