E. corrodens commonly inhabits the human oral cavity and becomes a pathogen mostly when host defenses are impaired, causing abscesses and infections that are sometimes fatal. Patients with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) are compromised hosts, and with daily microtrauma to their skin via glucose monitoring and insulin injections, they are prone to develop E. corrodens infections that can be introduced through oral secretions by licking or biting their skin. Educational efforts to prevent exposure of traumatized skin to oral secretions can minimize the risk of E. corrodens infections in compromised hosts.
Early intravenous administration of antibiotics, bearing in mind E. corrodens resistance to clindamycin, metronidazole, and other antibiotics, coupled with prompt surgical intervention, is essential in successfully managing E. corrodens infections.
