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Actinomyces odontolyticus: Rare Etiology for Purulent Pericarditis

Ryan Mack1, Kipp Slicker2, Shekhar Ghamande3

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Scott and White Memorial Hospital, 2401 South 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508, USA.

Case Reports in Medicine
|January 13, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Purulent pericarditis, often fatal, is typically caused by common bacteria. This report details a rare, fatal case of Actinomyces odontolyticus purulent pericarditis without periodontal disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Purulent pericarditis is a frequent cause of cardiac tamponade.
  • Untreated purulent pericarditis carries a 100% mortality rate.
  • Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the primary identified pathogens, with fungi and anaerobes as less common causes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first known fatal case of purulent pericarditis caused by Actinomyces odontolyticus.
  • To highlight a rare etiology of purulent pericarditis in the absence of typical risk factors like periodontal disease.

Main Methods:

  • Case report detailing a fatal outcome.
  • Review of relevant medical literature.

Main Results:

  • Actinomyces odontolyticus was identified as the causative agent of purulent pericarditis.
  • The patient presented with a fatal outcome.
  • No evidence of periodontal disease was found in this case.

Conclusions:

  • Actinomyces odontolyticus can cause fatal purulent pericarditis.
  • This case underscores the importance of considering rare pathogens in purulent pericarditis, even without predisposing conditions.

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