title: Infective endocarditis due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella spp. complicated by infectious intracranial cerebral aneurysms: a report of three cases and review of the literature.
abstract: Nutritionally variant streptococci, now classified as Abiotrophia defectivaor Granulicatella spp., are thought to account for 2 % of all infective endocarditis cases but estimates of their frequency are complicated by changes in nomenclature and difficulties in obtaining positive microbiology cultures. Their growth characteristics and difficulty undertaking antibiotic susceptibility testing may impede optimal antibiotic treatment decisions. We describe three patients with definite infective endocarditis due to these organisms seen at our hospital between 2005 and 2010, all of whom presented with neurological symptoms due to infectious intracranial cerebral aneurysms. We recommend that, for patients with left-sided infective endocarditis due to A. defictiva and Granulicatella spp., clinicians should consider imaging the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirigoyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Fairview Health System, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Lubna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shabnam
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.|Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.|Department of Infectious Disease, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.|Department of Microbiology, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Glen T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D058835:Abiotrophia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D056568:Carnobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged