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[Right-sided endocarditis due to Fusobacterium nucleatum]
E Gónzalez Cocina1, J S Espinosa Caliani, E Cabrerizo Cómitre
1Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Clínico-Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga.
Revista Espanola De Cardiologia
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Fusobacterium nucleatum caused right-sided endocarditis in an immunocompromised patient with a history of intravenous drug use. Metronidazole effectively treated the infection, unlike standard empiric therapy.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Right-sided endocarditis is a serious infection, often associated with specific risk factors.
- Fusobacterium nucleatum, a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is an uncommon cause of endocarditis.
Observation:
- A case of right-sided endocarditis caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum in a patient with intravenous drug addiction and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
- Clinical manifestations included fever, anemia, and pulmonary embolism.
- Echocardiography revealed a large vegetation on the right atrial wall that prolapsed into the right ventricle and subsequently disappeared after the pulmonary embolism event.
Findings:
- Empiric antimicrobial therapy was ineffective.
- Metronidazole demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in treating the Fusobacterium nucleatum endocarditis.
- Comparison with previously reported cases of gram-negative anaerobic bacterial endocarditis.
Implications:
- Highlights Fusobacterium nucleatum as a potential pathogen in right-sided endocarditis, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and intravenous drug users.
- Suggests metronidazole as a targeted and effective treatment option for Fusobacterium nucleatum endocarditis.
- Underscores the importance of considering anaerobic bacteria in culture-negative or treatment-refractory endocarditis cases.