A woman with infectious endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva

A 74-year-old woman with recurrent fever and multiple joint pain was admitted to Hokkaido University Hospital. Trans-esophageal echocardiogram revealed bacterial vegetation and destruction of the aortic valve. Although few bacteria grew in regular blood agar, Gram-positive coccobacillus was specifically grown in chocolate blood agar and Brucella agar, and it was identified to be Abiotrophia defectiva. Infectious endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva was diagnosed, she was treated with diuretics, penicillin G and gentamicin, and she immediately improved. Infectious diseases caused by Abiotrophia defectiva are extremely rare, and identification of this pathogen is important, as its bacterial characteristics require proper attention.     

Abiotrophia defectiva: a rare cause of infective endocarditis

A case of Abiotrophia defectiva-caused infective endocarditis is described. The patient was successfully treated with penicillin combined with gentamicin. Due to the fastidious nature of the agent, there is a need for special media for isolation and moreover, there is a need for a future development of susceptibility assays applicable to the organism.     

Using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool in infective endocarditis: a case report of a patient with mitral valve infective endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva

A case of infective endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva is presented. The use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool in infective endocarditis is discussed.     

A case report and literature overview: Abiotrophia defectiva aortic valve endocarditis in developing countries

A fatal case of aortic valve endocarditis due to Abiotrophia defectiva was reported in Brazil. An overview of cases of endocarditis and other human infections related to A. defectiva in developing countries was also accomplished.     

Meningitis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva: case report and literature review

The genus Abiotrophia comprises fastidious Gram-positive bacteria previously classified as nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS). The isolation of NVS from the central nervous system (CNS) is very rare. We describe a case of meningitis due to Abiotrophia defectiva in a patient who underwent a total hip arthroplasty 4 days previously. It is possible that the organism could be introduced through the spinal anesthesia. We also review all cases of CNS infections caused by NVS.     

Subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient with Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis

Endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia accounts for 5% of all cases of infective endocarditis (Roberts et al, Rev Infect Dis. 1979;1:955-66) and 5% to 6% of all cases of streptococcal endocarditis (Bouvet, Eur Heart J. 1995;16(suppl B):24-7; Brouqui et al, Clin Microbiol Rev. 2001;14:177-207). This endocarditis is associated with a high rate of embolization and treatment failure (Bouvet, Eur Heart J. 1995;16(suppl B):24-7). Neurological complications occur in 20% to 40% of all cases of infective endocarditis (Ossorio et al, Hosp Physician. 2003;39:21-4). Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a rare but devastating neurological complication. The authors presented a case of massive fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient with Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis. To our knowledge, there are only 2 reported cases of mycotic aneurysms in Abiotrophia endocarditis, 1 of which was associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (Leonard et al, N Engl J Med. 2001;344:233-4; Yang et al, Am J Med Sci. 2010;339:190-1).     

Infective endocarditis with atypical clinical feature and relapse by Abiotrophia defectiva

A case of infective endocarditis caused by an uncommon agent Abiotrophia defectiva with atypical manifestations is presented. A 42-year-old woman previously had rheumatic heart disease, presented with the symptoms of fever and chills that resolved within 3 days under antibiotherapy. She was diagnosed with endocarditis due to A. defectiva. Despite culture-directed antibiotics being administered in the first admission, her symptoms and also blood culture growth relapsed 3 weeks later. She was successfully treated with antimicrobial therapy and surgical intervention including aorta and mitral valve replacement. This case demonstrates that A. defectiva should be considered as a causative organism of endocarditis particularly in the presence of atypical symptoms and should be followed up carefully in terms of relapses and complications.     

Aortic valve infective endocarditis caused by Serratia liquefaciens

Infective endocarditis of the cardiac valves caused by Serratia liquefaciens has never been reported. We describe a fatal case of aortic valve infective endocarditis caused by S. liquefaciens after intravenous injection of amphetamine, complicated by multiple organ dysfunctions.     

Isolated native tricuspid valve endocarditis caused by viridans streptococcus

The present report describes a case of native tricuspid valve endocarditis caused by viridans group streptococcus in a 43-year-old man who had recently undergone dental extraction. The patient had no history of intravenous drug use, heart disease or right heart catheterization. Although there have been scattered reports of unusual organisms, to the authors'' knowledge, this is the first case of viridans group streptococcal endocarditis involving only the tricuspid valve after dental manipulation.Key Words: Tricuspid valve endocarditis, Viridans streptococcusIsolated native tricuspid valve endocarditis (TVE) accounts for only 5% to 10% of all cases of infective endocarditis (1,2) and is rarely seen in the absence of intravenous drug use (IDU) or intracardiac catheterization or cardiac anomalies (3,4). The present report describes a case of isolated viridans streptococcal TVE after dental manipulation in a nonintravenous drug user without underlying cardiac disease or central venous catheterization. We are not aware of any cases reported in the English literature of isolated native TVE caused by viridans streptococcal species after dental procedures. The expedient identification of patients with TVE in the absence of predisposing factors can be difficult, and thus delay in diagnosis may delay appropriate therapeutic intervention.     

Multiresistant-MRSA tricuspid valve infective endocarditis with ancient osteomyelitis locus

Background  

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) with low susceptibility to glycopeptides is uncommon.     

Prophylactic resection of a tricuspid valve vegetation in infective endocarditis

A heroin addict who appeared to have recovered clinically from infective endocarditis of the tricuspid valve as judged by the usual criteria underwent prophylactic resection of a large vegetation on the tricuspid valve in order to prevent severe pulmonary embolism. Prophylactic surgery was justified by the size and as judged by cross-sectional echocardiography of the vegetation and its morphology.     

感染性心内膜炎瓣膜损害的诊断及手术效果

目的:回顾性分析感染性心内膜炎瓣膜损害的诊断方法和手术效果。方法:2000年1月至2008年5月之间行手术治疗的感染性心内膜炎瓣膜损害者共119例,术前均进行血培养和彩色超声心动图检查。急诊手术32例,择期手术82例,所有病人经外科手术彻底清除感染病灶及周围坏死组织,纠正心内畸形,施行瓣膜置换。结果:术前超声发现赘生物115例(96.6%),瓣膜穿孔20例(16.8%),血培养结果阳性32例(26.9%);术中发现心内赘生物115例,穿孔21例,与术前超声检查结果无显著差异(P0.05);术后死亡5例(4.2%),其中急诊术后早期死亡2例(6.25%),择期术后早期死亡3例(3.66%),两组死亡率无显著性差异(P0.05)。结论:超声心动图检查可作为临床上确诊感染性心内膜炎的重要依据,对已确诊的患者应努力控制感染并尽早手术。     

Infective endocarditis due to Abiotrophia defectiva: a report of two cases

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Endocarditis due to Abiotrophia sp. is rare and often associated with negative blood cultures. The rates of treatment failure, infection relapse and mortality are higher than in endocarditis caused by other viridans streptococci. METHODS: A retrospective review of A. defectiva endocarditis in a patient with prosthetic aortic valve and in a patient with Marfan syndrome was performed. RESULTS: A. defectiva, susceptible to penicillin (MIC 0.064 mg/l and 0.016 mg/l, respectively) was isolated from blood cultures of both patients. Treatment with penicillin and gentamicin was started in both patients. Since the first patient developed a macular rash and leukopenia, penicillin was substituted with ceftriaxone. Both patients responded well to antibiotic treatment, did not need prosthetic valve insertion or reinsertion, and were without any sequelae at one year follow up. CONCLUSION: Standard treatment of bacterial endocarditis with penicillin and gentamicin was effective in both patients. In contrast to previous reports, the present patients had a favorable outcome on completion of treatment and at one-year follow up.     

正常瓣膜发生感染性心内膜炎1例

目的报告1例正常瓣膜因胸部外伤发生感染性心内膜炎的经过。方法1例患者既往健康,因胸部外伤导致结核性胸膜炎,扩张型心肌病,感染性心内膜炎,心力衰竭而多次入院治疗。结果最后行心脏外科手术及病理检查,证实为炎症后的瓣膜改变,支持感染性心内膜炎。结论正常瓣膜在胸部外伤后,也有可能发生感染性心内膜炎,要及时诊断和治疗。     

Isolated native tricuspid valve endocarditis caused by viridans streptococcus.

The present report describes a case of native tricuspid valve endocarditis caused by viridans group streptococcus in a 43-year-old man who had recently undergone dental extraction. The patient had no history of intravenous drug use, heart disease or right heart catheterization. Although there have been scattered reports of unusual organisms, to the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of viridans group streptococcal endocarditis involving only the tricuspid valve after dental manipulation.