A Case of Infective Endocarditis and Pulmonary Septic Emboli Caused by Lactococcus lactis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Cardiology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Infective endocarditis (IE) is uncommon in pediatric patients with structurally normal hearts.
• Pulmonary septic emboli are a potential complication of IE, often associated with right-sided heart involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of infective endocarditis and pulmonary septic emboli in a previously healthy child.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenge posed by an unusual bacterial pathogen, Lactococcus lactis.

Main Methods:

• Clinical case presentation and diagnostic workup.
• Bacterial identification using conventional methods and advanced molecular techniques, specifically polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Main Results:

• The patient, an eleven-year-old girl, presented with infective endocarditis and pulmonary septic emboli.
• The causative agent, Lactococcus lactis, a rare etiology for IE, was identified solely through PCR-based methods.

Conclusions:

• Lactococcus lactis can cause infective endocarditis and pulmonary septic emboli in children, even with normal cardiac anatomy.
• Polymerase chain reaction is crucial for identifying rare bacterial pathogens in complex pediatric infectious cases.