Vibrio vulnificus septicemia.

A 33-year-old Japanese male, who had a three year history of biopsy-proved liver cirrhosis, was admitted to the hospital on June, 24, 1983 with a sudden onset of fever (38.6 degrees C), chills, generalized pain, nausea, anorexia, weakness, and eruption over the entire body. The patient went into shock and died about 7 hours after admission. Blood cultures before death were positive for V. vulnificus. Postmortem microscopic examination revealed "necrotizing vasculitis" in the small and large intestines, stomach, and skin, and also showed marked toxic epidermal necrolysis. This case matches the primary septicemia caused by V. vulnificus described by Blake et al. In addition, this case suggests that the septicemia was acquired through the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small intestine, because the V. vulnificus was isolated from blood and numerous Gram-negative bacilli around the submucosal vessels were observed in the area with acute necrotizing vasculitis.