Exogenously acquired Clostridium septicum gas gangrene--a case report.

We report on a 72-year-old woman suffering from gas gangrene of the right leg, which developed 3 days after getting injured while gardening. Due to rapid microbiological diagnosis-direct microscopical examination of muscle biopsies revealed numerous grampositive rods-, immediately performed amputation of the leg and antibiotic treatment with penicillin and metronidazole the patient survived. From the muscle biopsies Clostridium septicum, which is found ubiquitously, was isolated in pure culture.