Disseminated melioidosis with multiple visceral abscesses including prostatic abscess

a case report

Abstract

Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is an emerging tropical infectious disease. We report a 61-year-old male farmer from Itaiçaba, Ceará, Brazil, with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who presented with prolonged fever, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Imaging showed a multiloculated hepatic abscess, followed by splenic and prostatic abscesses, without pulmonary involvement. Blood and urine cultures isolated B. pseudomallei. The patient received intravenous meropenem followed by oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for six months, with a favourable outcome. This case highlights an atypical disseminated presentation and reinforces clinical suspicion of melioidosis in diabetic patients with visceral abscesses in endemic regions.