title: Streptococcus endocarditis after tongue piercing.
abstract: While body piercing has been practiced for many centuries, the popularity of this body art has increased vastly in recent years. It is estimated that up to 51% of college-age individuals in the United States have ear piercing or other forms of piercing or tattoo. Although perceived as a relatively safe practice, medical complications, mostly resulting from bleeding and infections, occur in 17% of all cases after piercing. The case is reported of a patient with native mitral valve endocarditis after tongue piercing, resulting in acute mitral valve insufficiency that required valve replacement.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Academic Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kloppenburg
authors.forename: Jos G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Maessen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D046288:Body Piercing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014059:Tongue