Micrococcus luteus pneumonia: A case report and review of the literature

The clinical course of a 69-year-old male with acute myelogenous leukemia is described who, while extremely leukopenic (<100 neutrophils/μ1) from chemotherapy, developed a cavitating pneumonia due to a gram-positive coccus, Micrococcus luteus. Aggressive antibiotic management and attainment of complete remission of his leukemia resulted in a successful outcome. A review of the literature regarding the pathogenicitiy of this organism and, in particular, its occurrence as a cause of pneumonia is presented.