Skin ulcers caused by Serratia marcescens: three cases and a review of the literature

Background: Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative, encapsulated, motile, anaerobic, non-sporulating bacillus that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is found in water, soil, plants, food, and garbage. S. marcescens is an opportunistic pathogen. It usually causes nosocomial infections, such as lung and genitourinary infections, sinusitis, otitis, endocarditis, and sepsis. Skin infections caused by S. marcescens are rare. Objectives: To describe three new cases of skin ulcers of the leg caused by S. marcescens and review the relevant literature. Materials & methods: We investigated three patients admitted for ulcers on the leg. Results: In two patients, post-traumatic aetiology was concluded. The modality of infection was not identified for the other patient. One patient was diabetic. All patients recovered with specific antibiotic therapy (ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone and levofloxacin, respectively). Conclusion: Skin ulcers due to S. marcescens are very rare. The three cases presented here add to the limited literature of skin infections caused by S. marcescens.