A case of tricuspid valve endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis which emphasizes the shift between the poverty of clinical symptoms and the severity of cardiac damages.

ABSTRACT

Infectious endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis is an uncommon event, accounting for less than 2% of all cases of infectious endocarditis. The infection of the tricuspid valve as it is reported here is extremely rare. We report the case of a tricuspid endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis in a 56 year-old man who was admitted to hospital with pelvic and scapular pain. The diagnosis was established through positive blood cultures and echographic detection of a large tricuspid vegetation. Despite efficient antibiotic therapy, valve replacement was required. The clinical course of Cardiobacterium endocarditis is usually subacute, and the diagnosis may therefore be delayed. This case emphasizes the shift between the poverty of clinical symptoms and severity of cardiac damages, what we could call the Cardiobacterium paradox.