Urinary tract infection by Corynebacterium urealyticum - Look twice

Corynebacterium urealyticum though rare, is known to cause alkaline-encrusted urinary tract infections and struvite calculi. Identification of the bacilli and administration of the right antibiotic therapy is important in preventing persisting infections and complications. This report describes one of the rare cases which was encountered on routine urine culture of a long term catheterized patient following a road traffic accident. This case highlights the importance of the proper identification of gram positive bacilli and suggests that they may not be disregarded as urinary contaminants.