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Capnocytophaga canimorsus: a rare case of conservatively treated prosthetic valve endocarditis
Päivi Jalava-Karvinen1,2, Juha O Grönroos3, Helena Tuunanen4
1Division of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Abstract:
We describe a rare case of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by the canine bacterium Capnocytophaga canimorsus in a male aged 73 years. The diagnosis of infective endocarditis was unequivocal, as it blood cultures were positive for C. canimorsus and vegetations were detected on transesophageal echocardiography; the modified Duke criteria were fulfilled. PET-CT showed intense 18 F-FDG uptake of the prosthetic valve area. The patient was treated with antibiotics alone (no surgery), and is now on life-long suppressive antibiotic therapy. To our knowledge, this is the third reported case of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by C. canimorsus and the first one to have been treated conservatively.
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