Segmental Small-Bowel Gangrene Associated with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infection

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Y. pseudotuberculosis) is a gramnegative facultative anaerobe bacillus that can grow at low temperature (4°C). Consequently, the quantity of bacteria in food after several days of conservation in a refrigerator increases dramatically. It belongs, together with its homologue Yersinia pestis, to the family of Enterobacteriaceae. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains can be divided into 5 different serotypes. Yersiniosis has a wide range of clinical manifestations. The commonest is a self limiting gastroenteritis [1], but more serious variants may occur, such as appendicitis like syndrome [2] or crohn like disease [3]. We describe a small bowel necrosis associated with Y. pseudotuberculosis infection.