Prosthetic aortic valve dehiscence following infective endocarditis by a rare bacterium – Pandoraea pnomenusa

Abstract

Late prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a life-threatening condition, commonly caused by bacterial organisms such as staphylococci, streptococci, or enterococci. Infrequently, it can be caused by rare organisms. We hereby report a case of late PVE of the aortic valve, due to a rare gram-negative bacterium Pandoraea pnomenusa. It is the first reported case of PVE caused by this particular organism. The patient had infective endocarditis-induced prosthetic valve dehiscence, severe aortic regurgitation, and shock, which was managed with appropriate antibiotics and supportive medical treatment.<Learning objective: Late prosthetic valve infective endocarditis should always be an important differential diagnosis in patients with artificial valve presenting with congestive cardiac failure. This case report is about aortic valve dehiscence and acute aortic regurgitation because of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis due to a rare bacterium Pandoraea pnomenusa.>