title: Corynebacterium diphtheriae endocarditis with multifocal septic emboli: can prompt diagnosis help avoid surgery?
abstract: METHODS
  Male, 23.
  
  
  METHODS
  Corynebacterium diphtheriae endocarditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Abdominal pain • cachexia • diarrhea • fever • vomiting.
  
  
  METHODS
  -.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mitral valve replacement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Rare disease.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although Corynebacterium diphtheriae is well known for causing diphtheria and other respiratory tract infections, in very rare cases it can lead to severe systemic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case of a previously healthy young man (no prosthetic valve in situ or other known congenital defect), presenting with a Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection leading to endocarditis. The patient reported no I.V. drug use, so it can be assumed that no risk factors for infective endocarditis were present.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report aims to raise suspicion for this specific infection in order to proceed with the right treatment as soon as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patris
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Orestis
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Argiriou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Konstantinou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Agia Olga General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lama
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, "Evangelismos" General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Haris
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsanevakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, "Evangelismos" General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Mihalis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argiriou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, "Evangelismos" General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charitos
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial