[Unusual pneumonia by Pasteurella multocida].

Pasteurellosis is an infection caused by inoculation usually through bites or scratches. Pasteurella multocida is involved in 50 to 60% of cases. Cats are the main vectors of the pathogen. Immunodepression increases the risk of systemic disease. We report a case of Pasteurella multocida pneumonia in an 81-year-old patient who had no cutaneous portal of entry. The patient had a past medical history of rectal neoplasia and prostate neoplasia treated with brachytherapy and hormonal therapy respectively. He had an environmental risk factor (the presence of a cat at home). The diagnosis was confirmed by repeated blood cultures. Antimicrobial therapy resulted in clinical, biological and radiological improvement. This case report raises the question of a possible pathogenesis different from the commonly described "inoculation".
(Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)