Sphingomonas paucimobilis Bacteremia in a Patient With Retropharyngeal Abscess

Sphingomonas paucimobilis is a nonfermenting gram-negative bacillus that is widely distributed in both community environments and hospitals. Various infections have been identified in humans, but most have been limited to case reports. When reported, it is most commonly nosocomial infections associated with contaminated hospital equipment such as indwelling catheters, ventilators, hemodialysis devices, and very rarely upper respiratory tract infections. We report an unusual presentation of S. paucimobilis infection. This case report describes a 59-year-old immunocompetent man who presented with a retropharyngeal abscess. Blood culture was positive for S. paucimobilis. The patient was treated for a total of 21 days of intravenous (IV) cefepime and oral (PO) metronidazole. He showed significant improvement and was discharged home with no medical sequelae.