A 56-year-old male presented with fever, chills, and left hand pain, diagnosed with flexor tenosynovitis and sepsis. Initial blood cultures were negative, but subsequent cultures from the hand abscess and repeat blood samples, along with 16S rRNA gene sequencing, identified Solobacterium moorei. The patient received surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy, leading to clinical improvement. This case highlights the importance of advanced diagnostic techniques, like 16S rRNA gene sequencing, for identifying uncommon anaerobic pathogens in severe infections, especially when routine cultures are inconclusive.
Key note: Solobacterium moorei, an uncommon anaerobic bacterium, can cause severe infections like sepsis secondary to flexor tenosynovitis, necessitating molecular diagnostic methods for timely identification.