Lethal infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus agalactiae in a man with a history of alcohol abuse: A case report

Abstract

Rational:Infective endocarditis (IE) is defined as an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart, which may include one or more heart valves, the mural endocardium.Patient concerns:A 53-years-old man with a history of alcohol abuse was admitted in hospital for fever, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation cardioverted by Amiodarone and pulmonary infection.Diagnosis:A case of recurrent severe endocarditis, with neurological complications both ischemic and hemorrhagic and heart failure caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in healthy man we reported.Interventions:Surgery was performed 2 weeks after admission.Outcomes:The onset of intracranial hemorrhage delayed second cardiac surgery and the patient died because of end-stage heart failure.Conclusions:Infective endocarditis caused by S. agalactiae is very rare, particularly in patients without underlying structural heart disease. This study showed that IE due to S. Agalactiae is a disease with high mortality when associated with neurological complication, heart failure but especially when it is recurrent and hits valve prosthesis.