[Endocarditis due to an alga of the genus Prototheca sp. A saprophyte of water and of tree sap?].
We report a case of a preterm neonate with very low birth weight (775 grs), He stayed 77 days in a neonatal care unit due to respiratory distress syndrome, with respiratory support for 27 days, and complications in gastrointestinal and nervous systems. In a structural normal heart, he developed infective endocarditis that was treated with good bacteriologic results. An echocardiogram showed the persistence of a mass in the right atrium, the mass was a thrombus and it was resected. Histopathological analysis and cultures of the thrombus reported Prototheca sp. that is an algae. The patient received medical treatment with amphothericin B with satisfactory clinical evolution. He is doing well 6 months later. This is the first report of literature of an algae causing endocarditis.
Buendía
A
A
Departamento de Cardiología Pediátrica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, INCICH, México, D.F.
Patiño
E
E
Rijlaarsdam
M
M
Loredo
M L
ML
Rivera
E
E
Ramírez
S
S
Attie
F
F
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011525:Prototheca / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014197:Trees; D014867:Water
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014867:Water; D000666:Amphotericin B