[Isolated tricuspid endocarditis. Apropos of a case caused by Streptococcus D bovis and faecalis occurring after...

A 59-year-old chronic alcoholic male, with no cardiac past history, was hospitalised with septicemia 5 months after the endoscopic removal of 2 benign intestinal polyps. The diagnosis of tricuspid endocarditis was possible only 2 months later on the basis of echocardiography requested because of the onset of a tricuspid systolic murmur. Blood cultures revealed the presence in succession of streptococcus D fecalis then bovis. Antibiotics, changed several times because of the onset of complications (allergy, agranulocytosis), failed to deal with the problem of infection as shown by the development of several septic pulmonary emboli which finally resulted in total tricuspidectomy with neither immediate nor secondary valve replacement. The authors use this clinical case to review the characteristics of tricuspid endocarditis, the incidence of which is on the increase in certain etiological contexts (staphylococcal endocarditis in drug addicts or secondary to central vascular lines). They stress that the clinical picture is often confusing since the murmur of tricuspid incompetence is absent in 2/3 of cases. Echocardiography must therefore be requested routinely in all septicemias, thus enabling earlier diagnosis and assessment of the risk of pulmonary embolism (risk if vegetation greater than 10 mm). The nature of the organism responsible may be suggestive of certain etiologies. Thus malignant disease of the colon should be sought if the bacterium is a streptococcus D bovis. Apart from antibiotics, treatment must include effective anticoagulation to decrease the risk of embolic recurrence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)