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Ureaplasma parvum causing life-threatening disease in a susceptible patient

Alexander Korytny1, Roni Nasser1, Yuval Geffen2

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine B, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.

BMJ Case Reports
|August 18, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Ureaplasma parvum, a bacterium, caused severe aortic valve disease and arthritis in an immunocompromised patient. Successful treatment involved doxycycline, highlighting the importance of molecular diagnostics for identifying unusual pathogens.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Ureaplasma parvum is a common urogenital bacterium.
  • Infections by U. parvum are typically asymptomatic or cause mild symptoms.
  • Disseminated Ureaplasma infections are rare, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.

Observation:

  • A 56-year-old man with lymphoma developed orchitis and septic arthritis.
  • The patient later presented with severe aortic regurgitation and vegetations on the aortic valve.
  • Ureaplasma parvum was identified via PCR in synovial fluid and aortic valve tissue.

Findings:

  • This case demonstrates a rare instance of disseminated Ureaplasma parvum infection.
  • The infection manifested as septic arthritis and severe native aortic valve endocarditis.
  • Molecular diagnostic methods, such as PCR, were crucial for pathogen identification when cultures were negative.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the potential for Ureaplasma parvum to cause severe, disseminated disease in immunocompromised patients.
  • Early and accurate diagnosis using molecular techniques is essential for effective treatment of Ureaplasma infections.
  • Doxycycline appears to be an effective treatment for disseminated Ureaplasma parvum infections.

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