Taxonomy
Family: Corynebacteriaceae

Natural habitats
They occur in the normal flora on both skin and oropharynx.

Clinical significans

Corynebacterium striatum is an emerging opportunistic pathogen, especially important in hospital settings.

Key points
- Part of the normal skin and mucosal flora
- Increasingly recognized as a true pathogen, not just a contaminant, when isolated from sterile sites

Clinically relevant infections
- Bacteremia / sepsis
- Endocarditis
- Pneumonia (especially ventilator-associated)
- Wound and surgical site infections
- Catheter- and device-related infections
- Osteomyelitis (reported)

Risk factors
- Immunocompromised patients
- Prolonged hospitalization or ICU stay
- Indwelling medical devices (central lines, prostheses)
- Prior broad-spectrum antibiotic use

Antibiotic considerations
- Frequently multidrug-resistant
- Often resistant to β-lactams, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones
- Vancomycin is usually the drug of choice (until susceptibility results are available)
Clinical importance
- Should be considered clinically significant when recovered from sterile sites
- Requires targeted therapy, not dismissal as a contaminant