Infective endocarditis caused by Gemella haemolysans in a patient with bicuspid aortic valve: A case report

Abstract

Gemella haemolysans is a gram-positive coccus, and commensal of the upper respiratory tract and oral mucosa. In rare cases, it has been identified as an opportunistic pathogen in the development of endocarditis. Here, we describe a case of Gemella haemolysans endocarditis in a patient with bicuspid aortic valve. A 14-year-old male presented to our hospital with a 1-month history of intermittent fever. Gemella haemolysans was isolated from the patient’s blood cultures. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed severe aortic stenosis and a pseudoaneurysm of the mitral–aortic intervalvular fibrosa. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement with pseudoaneurysm of the mitral–aortic intervalvular fibrosa repair and remained symptom-free during follow-up. This case highlights the importance of considering atypical pathogens as causative agents of infective endocarditis.