Tricuspid valve endocarditis caused by Eikenella corrodens

<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Abstract</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Background. Infectious endocarditis of the tricuspid valve is rare in non-intravenous drug users and patients without centra...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Martin Tretjak, Miroslav Vujasinović, Irena Piltaver Vajdec, Andreja Pikelj Pečnik, Zdenko Kikec
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Slovenian Medical Association 2015-06-01
Series:Zdravniški Vestnik
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Online Access:http://vestnik.szd.si/index.php/ZdravVest/article/view/1181
Description
Summary:<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Abstract</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Background. Infectious endocarditis of the tricuspid valve is rare in non-intravenous drug users and patients without central venous devices. The most frequent causative agents are staphylococci, rarely other bacteria.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Methods. We describe a case of a 57-year-old patient without history of drug abuse that was admitted to our hospital because of fever with chills, dry cough, loss of appetite and wasting lasting for a few months. He had a venous ulcer on the right foot and interdigital inflammation on both feet. <em>Eikenella corrodens</em> was isolated from blood cultures. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a large vegetation on the anterior leaflet of tricuspid valve. CT scan oh the thorax showed probable septic emboli. The patient was treated conservatively with prolonged double antibiotic regimen. During the treatment there were no further complications.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Conclusions. In our patients a rare form of tricuspid valve endocarditis was confirmed, caused by <em>Eikenella corrodens</em>. The possibility of infectious endocarditis should always be considered in patients with prolonged fever, especially when a possible causative agent is isolated from blood cultures.</span></p>
ISSN:1318-0347
1581-0224