A RARE CASE OF NATIVE TRIPLE-VALVE INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS

Abstract

SESSION TITLE: Medical Student/Resident Cardiovascular Disease Posters SESSION TYPE: Med Student/Res Case Rep Postr PRESENTED ON: October 18-21, 2020 INTRODUCTION: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening infection. Despite medical advances, mortality from IE remains high. Enterococcal IE is becoming more prevalent in elderly patients with degenerative valvular disease and bloodstream infections from gastrointestinal (GI) or genitourinary (GU) tracts. We present a rare case of native triple-valve infective endocarditis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old man with a history of squamous cell carcinoma of tongue post hemiglossectomy with chemoradiation therapy and small bowel obstruction post open laparotomy a month earlier presented for altered mental status. Initial vitals showed tachycardia and was otherwise normal. Positive examination findings were cachexia, a healed partial tongue resection, decreased air entry over lung bases and left upper abdominal tenderness without peritonitis. The rest of the physical exam was unremarkable. Initial lab results were significant for leukocytosis, mild anemia, elevated BUN and creatinine. Computed tomography (CT) of chest and abdomen showed a large left lower lobe consolidation, right lower lobe patchy parenchymal disease and gastric wall thickening. He was started empirically on Zosyn, vancomycin and fluconazole. Blood cultures grew Enterococcus faecalis and transthoracic echocardiogram (echo) showed an acute-on-subacute endocarditis with vegetations on the tricuspid, mitral and aortic valves with ejection fraction 65-70%. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) culture was positive for Candida Glabrata 3 days after his death. He later developed septic shock with multiorgan failure and was considered ineligible for surgery. Despite optimal medical therapy and no worsening of echo findings, he ultimately died. DISCUSSION: Multivalvular IE increases the likelihood of complications from congestive heart failure, acute renal failure, embolic events, disseminated intravascular anticoagulation and death (1). Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen in oral cavity, the GI and GU tracts. Manipulation of the GI and GU tracts, cancer and previous treatment with antibiotics increase the risk of enterococcal bacteremia. Our patient’s overall immunocompromised state and recent surgical intervention placed him at higher risk of Enterococcus faecalis infection. Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia is a common cause of IE that has had no survival improvement in the past decade (2). Ultimately, his BAL culture was positive for Candida glabrata, which if resulted in fungemia, could be complicated by a rare but aggressive form of IE with a mortality rate of 80% requiring both medical and early surgical intervention (3). CONCLUSIONS: Triple valve endocarditis is rare with few studies in literature to guide the best management. Further research is necessary to identify patients at increased risk of multivalve IE, in regards to optimal screening methods to facilitate early detection and therapy. Reference #1: Kim, N., Lazar, J., Cunha, B., Liao, W., & Minnaganti, V. (2000). Multi-valvular endocarditis. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 6(4), 207–212. doi: 10.1046/j.1469- 0691.2000.00065.x Reference #2: Dahl, A., Rasmussen, R. V., Bundgaard, H., et al. (2013). Enterococcus faecalis Infective Endocarditis. Circulation, 127(17), 1810–1817. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.112.001170 Reference #3: Baddley, J. W., Benjamin, D. K., et al. (2008). Candida infective endocarditis. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 27(7), 519–529. doi: 10.1007/s10096-008-0466-x DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Sahai Donaldson, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Lorenzo Leys, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Alem Mehari, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Lamiaa Rougui, source=Web Response