Enterococcus faecium small colony variant endocarditis in an immunocompetent patient.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Bacteriology

Background:

• Small colony variants (SCV) are atypical bacterial subpopulations characterized by slow growth and auxotrophy.
• SCVs are frequently implicated in persistent and recurrent infections.
• While SCVs of Enterococcus faecalis are rarely documented, Enterococcus faecium SCVs are exceptionally uncommon, with only one prior report in a leukemia patient with sepsis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first documented case of bloodstream infection (bacteremia) and endocarditis caused by Small Colony Variants (SCV) of Enterococcus faecium.
• To describe the clinical presentation and characteristics of this rare infection in an immunocompetent host.

Main Methods:

• Case report describing a patient with Enterococcus faecium bacteremia and endocarditis.
• Clinical data collection and microbiological analysis.

Main Results:

• The study presents the first documented instance of Enterococcus faecium SCV causing both bacteremia and endocarditis.
• The infection occurred in an immunocompetent patient, differing from the sole previous report.

Conclusions:

• This case highlights the potential for Enterococcus faecium SCVs to cause severe invasive infections, including endocarditis, even in immunocompetent individuals.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering SCVs in the differential diagnosis of persistent or recurrent enterococcal infections.