Med. praxi. 2025;22(2):129-132 | DOI: 10.36290/med.2025.022

Case reports of diphtheria

MUDr. Marianna Augustínová

Infekční oddělení, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

Diphtheria is an important, re-emerging infection that requires increased attention from the medical community, not only in primary care but across all medical fields. The causative agent is the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Two forms of the disease are distinguished: skin and respiratory. The first-line treatment consists of penicillin antibiotics. In addition to a brief initial description of the microorganism, the following text focuses on three case studies of patients in whom Corynebacterium diphtheriae was identified as the etiological agent through culture examination. The first case involves the respiratory form, while the other two concern the skin form. The course of the disease, the necessity of isolation in an infectious disease ward, and the therapeutic approach taken are described. Furthermore, a local epidemiological overview of incidence is provided, along with a final evaluation of the presented cases and the disease itself.

Keywords: diphtheria, case studies, toxin, Corynebacterium.

Received: February 26, 2025; Revised: April 2, 2025; Accepted: April 2, 2025; Published: April 30, 2025  Show citation