[Problems posed by the association of streptococcus D infectious endocarditis and colorectal tumor]

The problems arising from the discovery of a colorectal tumor during an infectious endocarditis caused by Streptococci D have rarely been mentioned in the surgical literature. The frequency of association of an asymptomatic colorectal tumor and of a Streptococcus bovi endocarditis is now undisputed. This notion implies the systematic search for an intestinal lesion (adenoma or carcinoma) in case of endocarditis or septicemia without involvement of the valves, caused by a streptococcus of group D. The authors report about 3 cases of enterococcal (1 case) and S. bovis (2 cases) infectious endocarditis revealing a colic adenocarcinoma (2 cases) and a villous adenoma (1 case), all being perfectly latent. The specific therapeutic problems arising from this association are outlined, including the antibiotic therapy, the role of the anticoagulant treatment and the priority given to valve surgery in case of hemodynamic instability.