Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Sep 15, 2026; 18(9): 121271
Published online Sep 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.121271
Published online Sep 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.121271
Prevotella melaninogenica bloodstream infection in colon cancer combined with appendiceal abscess: A case report
Tian-Zhu He, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Yuan-Wei Zhang, Liang Zhang, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Shengzhou People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Shengzhou Branch), Shaoxing 312400, Zhejiang Province, China
Bo-Wen Zheng, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: He TZ wrote the paper; He TZ and Zhang GQ designed the study; He TZ, Zhang YW, Zhang L collected clinical data; Zheng BW analyzed pathological materials; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Tian-Zhu He, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Shengzhou People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Shengzhou Branch), No. 666 Dangui Road, Shaoxing 312400, Zhejiang Province, China. hetianlook@126.com
Received: March 20, 2026
Revised: April 22, 2026
Accepted: June 2, 2026
Published online: September 15, 2026
Processing time: 159 Days and 3.1 Hours
Revised: April 22, 2026
Accepted: June 2, 2026
Published online: September 15, 2026
Processing time: 159 Days and 3.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Refractory appendiceal abscess in adult patients should raise high clinical suspicion of underlying colon cancer, especially when conservative treatment fails. Prevotella melaninogenica, an anaerobic opportunistic pathogen, can cause life-threatening bloodstream infection in colon cancer patients. Timely pathogen detection and radical surgery are essential to improve patient prognosis and reduce mortality.