[Pneumonia with bacteremia due to Yersinia enterocolitica in a diabetic patient carrying HLA-B27].

INTRODUCTION: We report a new case of pneumonia and bacteremia due to Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) in a diabetic patient with HLA-B27 positive spondylarthritis.

OBSERVATION: A 75-year-old man was admitted for a pneumonia. He was suffering from HLA-B27 positive spondylarthritis and stable diabetes mellitus. Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid was ineffective. Two blood and stool cultures were positive for YE. There was no evidence of septic metastases, immunodepression and iron overload. Outcome was uneventful after 21 days of ofloxacin.

CONCLUSION: YE pneumonia is rare. In this patient, diabetes mellitus and spondylarthritis with HLA-B27 may have played a role in the infection but their imputability remain questionable.