title: Streptococcus adjacens endocarditis in a patient with nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: Streptococcus adjacens has never previously been reported as an etiologic organism of infective endocarditis in Taiwan. We describe a case of severe native valve endocarditis caused by S. adjacens, involving the mitral valve, the aortic valve, and the left atrium, in a 29-year-old woman with nephrotic syndrome on steroid therapy. Blood cultures yielded gram-positive cocci that grew poorly on blood agar but strongly on chocolate agar. Despite aggressive antibiotic treatment, the patients continued to have high fever and progressive congestive heart failure, which necessitated surgical intervention. Symptoms were alleviated after surgery; teicoplanin was continued for 4 weeks and the patient remained symptom-free at the 6 month follow up. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of bacterial endocarditis involving the left atrium without preexisting myxoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Luh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology*