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Native Valve Endocarditis due to Ralstonia pickettii: A Case Report and Literature Review
Joseph Orme1, Tomas Rivera-Bonilla2, Akil Loli3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA.
Case Reports in Infectious Diseases
|February 5, 2015
Summary
Ralstonia pickettii bacteremia is rare, especially in healthy individuals. This case highlights its potential to cause severe aortic valve abscess and complete heart block, a first for this pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Ralstonia pickettii is an uncommon pathogen, rarely causing infections in healthy individuals.
- Infections due to Ralstonia species are infrequently reported, particularly severe cardiac manifestations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of Ralstonia pickettii bacteremia.
- To describe the development of an aortic valve abscess and complete heart block secondary to R. pickettii infection.
- To document the first known instance of Ralstonia species causing infective endocarditis with a perivalvular abscess.
Main Methods:
- Case report detailing clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and management.
- Microbiological identification of Ralstonia pickettii from blood cultures.
- Echocardiographic and imaging studies to assess cardiac involvement and abscess formation.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with bacteremia caused by Ralstonia pickettii.
- The infection progressed to an aortic valve abscess.
- Complete heart block developed as a complication of the aortic valve abscess.
- This represents the first reported case of Ralstonia species causing infective endocarditis with a perivalvular abscess.
Conclusions:
- Ralstonia pickettii can cause severe invasive infections, including infective endocarditis with abscess formation.
- Infective endocarditis due to R. pickettii can lead to significant cardiac complications such as complete heart block.
- This case underscores the importance of considering rare pathogens in the differential diagnosis of severe infections, especially in immunocompromised or critically ill patients.
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