Successful medical treatment of bioprosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The mortality risk of prosthetic valve endocarditis is known to be increased in cases in which staphylococci are the causative organisms. Previous recommendations have concentrated on early surgical management of this condition, but there are now reports that these infections can be treated medically, thus leaving prosthetic material in situ. We describe a case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis on a bovine pericardial pulmonary valve that responded to antibiotic therapy without the need for surgical intervention.