title: Bacillus licheniformis prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis.
abstract: A 73-year old man developed an acute prosthetic aortic valve dehiscence for which emergent operation was undertaken. The intraoperative evidence of an aortic annular disruption and of a subannular abscess led to the hypothesis that an endocarditis process was involved. The aortic valve was replaced with a stentless porcine bioprosthesis. Cultures taken intraoperatively from the aortic area had a pure growth of aerobic, spore-forming, gram-positive bacilli identified as Bacillus licheniformis. The patient responded to specific antibiotic therapy with no relapse at a 20-month follow-up. The potentiality of B. licheniformis as a pathogen should be reconsidered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Verona Medical School, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borghetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amalfitano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzucco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D016863:Bacillaceae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002437:Cefazolin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D002437:Cefazolin