Multi-valvular infective endocarditis from Gemella morbillorum.
Gemella morbillorum is increasingly implicated in infectious endocarditis. Our patient presented with anaemia and renal failure with evidence of infarcts and embolic disease. He was found to have endocarditis with an organism that could not speciate with standard culture methods requiring matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) for identification and susceptibilities. While involvement of mitral and aortic valves can be expected with Gemella, he had rare involvement of the pulmonic valve in a structurally normal heart. Although bacteriological cure was achieved, due to the locally destructive nature of Gemella, he ultimately required valve replacements for heart failure resolution. Workup for commonly implicated pathologies associated with G. morbillorum led to suspicion of gastrointestinal malignancy with findings of occult bleeding prompting an ongoing evaluation. With improved access to advanced diagnostics, G. morbillorum has been increasingly identified in infectious endocarditis. Given its destructive nature, it is important for clinicians to consider this organism is difficult to identify isolates.
['Desai|Anish Kumar|AK|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9053-1897', 'Bonura|Erin Murchan|EM|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9979-7088']
D004696:Endocarditis D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial D058834:Gemella D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections D006801:Humans D008297:Male
heart failure drugs: infectious diseases infectious diseases medical management valvar diseases