Polyposis coli presenting with Streptococcus bovis endocarditis

Streptococcus bovis bacteremia is an important early clue to the presence of serious and clinically unexpected gastrointestinal disease, particularly carcinoma of the colon. S. bovis bacteremia has also been associated with carcinoma of the esophagus and stomach, gastric lymphoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, intestinal diverticulosis and single adenomatous polyps and villous polyps of the colon. We report a patient with S. bovis endocarditis as the initial clinical manifestation of extensive polyposis of the colon and rectum. All patients with S. bovis bacteremia need thorough investigation of their gastrointestinal tract even in the absence of symptoms, signs, or positive laboratory tests suggestive of gastrointestinal pathology.