The "surreptitious Staphylococcus": Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis in a child
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Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Published on: February 9, 2011
Viliame Sotutu1, Jonathan Carapetis, Jim Wilkinson
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract:
A child with congenital heart disease developed infective endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Despite an apparent excellent response to initial antibiotic treatment in clinical, inflammatory and echocardiographic indices, the patient's valve damage progressed silently and surgical intervention was required. This case highlights the potential for misidentification of S. lugdunensis, its usual susceptibility to penicillin and in particular the aggressive nature of endocarditis caused by this coagulase-negative staphylococcus. The epidemiology and treatment of endocarditis caused by this organism are reviewed.
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