title: Prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Brucella: successful outcome with a combined strategy.
abstract: Infective endocarditis is a serious heart disease that can affect native and prosthetic valves. Staphylococci and Streptococci are the etiological agents in almost 80% of cases. Human brucellosis is a multiple organ disease often transmitted via contaminated, unpasteurized goat milk and cheese. Brucella endocarditis is a rare complication associated with elevated morbidity and mortality rates; it can affect native or, even more rarely, prosthetic valves. In this report, we present the successful management of an infected aortic biological prosthesis in a man of 68 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, via Massarenti 9, Bologna, Italy. allucbot@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: Ratna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bechan
authors.forename: Alaaddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D017347:Brucella melitensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D020878:Device Removal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012086:Reoperation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents