Lethal infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus agalactiae in a man with a history of alcohol abuse: A case report.

ABSTRACT

RATIONAL Infective endocarditis (IE) is defined as an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart, which may include one or more heart valves, the mural endocardium. PATIENT CONCERNS A 53-years-old man with a history of alcohol abuse was admitted in hospital for fever, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation cardioverted by Amiodarone and pulmonary infection. DIAGNOSIS A case of recurrent severe endocarditis, with neurological complications both ischemic and hemorrhagic and heart failure caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in healthy man we reported. INTERVENTIONS: Surgery was performed 2 weeks after admission. OUTCOMES: The onset of intracranial hemorrhage delayed second cardiac surgery and the patient died because of end-stage heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Infective endocarditis caused by S. agalactiae is very rare, particularly in patients without underlying structural heart disease. This study showed that IE due to S. Agalactiae is a disease with high mortality when associated with neurological complication, heart failure but especially when it is recurrent and hits valve prosthesis.