Pneumonia caused by a newly recognized pseudomonad in a child with chronic granulomatous disease.

A pseudomonad was isolated from the pleural fluid and pulmonary decortication tissue of a 5-year-old child with chronic granulomatous disease. Although the isolate was phenotypically similar to Pseudomonas cepacia, its biochemical profile was more similar to that of Pseudomonas pickettii biovar 2. Its slow growth rate, ability to hydrolyze urea rapidly, and lateral and polar flagellar pattern were suggestive of Oligella ureolytica (formerly CDC group IVe). The cellular fatty acid composition was similar to that of P. cepacia and Pseudomonas gladioli, except for the presence of dodecanoic acid. Numerical analysis of the fatty acid data supported the interrelatedness of the isolate with other species of the pseudomallei group (rRNA homology group II) of Pseudomonas. The organism described in this report is an addition to the growing list of catalase-positive organisms which can potentially cause severe morbidity in patients with chronic granulomatous disease.