The pathogenic potential of coryneform bacteria has been underestimated

Taxonomy
Family: Corynebacteriaceae

Natural habitats
They are part of the normal biota of the skin.

Clinical significance
C. urealyticum is one of the relatively frequently isolated clinically significant corynebacteria in clinical specimens.

They are strongly associated with urinary tract infections. Recovery of this bacterium is often associated with urine with an alkaline pH, resulting in struvite crystals.

C. urealyticum bacteriuria occurs mainly in patients hospitalized for a long period, who are severely immunocompromised, urological manipulated, and elderly.

Recovery of the organism from urine does not always signify UTI, however, they are frequent colonizer of the skin of hospitalized patients with or without UTIs.

They have been considered an infrequent cause of infections other than UTI, including endocarditis, bacteremia, osteomyelitis, soft tissue infection, and wound infections.