Thymidine-auxotrophic Staphylococcus aureus small-colony variant bacteremia in a patient with cystic fibrosis.

The pathogenesis of SCVs is complex and not fully elucidated. Factors inherent to the patient such as physiological conditions, recurrent infections, or coinfection should be considered. Although SCVs are considered less virulent, they showed the ability to invade and cause bacteremia in the patient.