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Pneumococcal pulmonary valve endocarditis

Apostolos Vrettos1,2,3,4,5,6, Paula Mota1,2,3,4,5,6, James Nash1,2,3,4,5,6

  • 1A Vrettos, Cardiology, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, Canterbury, UK.

Echo Research and Practice
|June 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

This case study details the first asymptomatic case of Streptococcus pneumoniae pulmonary valve endocarditis. The rare infection was incidentally discovered via echocardiogram in a patient with no prior risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Pulmonary valve endocarditis is a rare form of infective endocarditis (IE).
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is infrequently implicated in IE cases.
  • Identifying risk factors and clinical presentations of IE is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment.

Observation:

  • A 50-year-old male presented with an incidental echocardiographic finding of a pulmonary valve vegetation.
  • The patient had a recent history of a scrotal abscess caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, complicated by hospital-acquired pneumonia and pulmonary embolism.

Findings:

  • Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis of the resected pulmonary valve mass confirmed 16S rDNA consistent with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.
  • This represents the first documented case of pneumococcal pulmonary valve IE presenting asymptomatically.
  • The patient had no identifiable pre-existing risk factors for infective endocarditis.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the potential for Streptococcus pneumoniae to cause pulmonary valve endocarditis, even in the absence of typical risk factors.
  • It underscores the importance of considering less common pathogens and presentations in infective endocarditis.
  • Further research may be warranted to understand the specific mechanisms and risk factors associated with pneumococcal IE in the pulmonary valve.

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