Corynebacterium Striatum Bacteremia in End-Stage Renal Disease: A Case Series and Review of Literature.

Corynebacterium striatum is emerging as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised hosts. End-stage renal disease remains an underappreciated state of immunocompromise. We present a series of individuals with end-stage kidney disease on hemodialysis who developed Corynebacterium striatum bacteremia, which was initially thought to be a contaminant, but eventually recognized as the culprit pathogen. We review the bacteriology of C. striatum, increasing resistance, as well as known cases of C. striatum bacteremia in the setting of end-stage renal disease. These cases highlight the importance of a high index of suspicion when interpreting bacterial cultures in patients with end-stage renal disease.