Abstract: Eggerthella lenta  is part of the normal bacterial flora of the intestinal tract, but may cause life-threatening infections. E. lenta  has been isolated from blood, abscesses, wounds, skin ulcers, and intra-abdominal infections. However, due to historical difficulties with laboratory identification by conventional biochemical methods, some cases of E. lenta  infection have previously gone undiagnosed, especially in China where E. lenta  infections are very rare. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), a new type of technology, has made it possible to identify E. lenta . We report a case of postoperative infection caused by E. lenta  which was treated successfully using meropenem.
Keywords: Eggerthella lenta , MALDI-TOF, intra-abdominal abscess, bloodstream infection, anaerobic bacteria