[The significance of "nonpathogenic" Corynebacteria as a cause of opportunistic infections].

A lot of corynebacterial species, summarized as "diphtheroids" has its normal habitat on the human skin. Consequently, these bacteria are often isolated from various clinical materials and mostly regarded as indeginous flora. The same bacteria, however, can cause serious infections, when the balance between host and microorganisms is impaired. Multiresistant corynebacteria group JK are used as an example to describe the development of such infections. Central venous catheters and other plastic devices can facilitate the entry of the bacteria. Simultaneously, resistant strains of corynebacteria benefit from a concurrently administered antimicrobial chemotherapy. Subsequently, these bacteria can be found as a cause of septicemia, endocarditis, wound infection, osteomyelitis, peritonitis and meningitis. The antimicrobial chemotherapy is hampered by the extreme resistance and vancomycin is the only antibiotic of choice. Colonization or infection of the single patient can be differentiated by clinical criteria only. According to the individual risk, a microbiological monitoring can be helpful in the early detection of colonization and infection.