Endocarditis due to Neisseria elongata: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Neisseria elongata, which is part of the normal oropharyngeal bacterial flora, can be an aggressive organism causing serious infections including infective endocarditis. N. elongata infective endocarditis is rare and no current guidelines exist to direct antibiotic selection and/or duration of treatment. We report a case of infective endocarditis due to N. elongata and a review of the literature. Our patient is a healthy young woman, who was found to have an aortic root abscess with valve perforation requiring valve replacement. N. elongata infective endocarditis typically affects the left cardiac chambers and is associated with high risk of embolization. A transesophageal echocardiogram should be performed as part of the initial workup to assess the extent of infection, as a high percentage of patients develop perivalvular abscess formation and/or valve perforation. Most patients require prolonged antibiotic therapy and early surgical intervention. This case demonstrates the potential severity of N. elongata endocarditis. Further studies are needed to establish management guidance.