Open AccessCorynebacterium diphtheriae-infective endocarditis in a patient with an atrial septal defect closure device
Author(s) -
Jacinta Ng,
Teesha Downton,
Natalie Davidson,
James Marangou
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2019-229478
Subject(s) - medicine , corynebacterium diphtheriae , infective endocarditis , endocarditis , surgery , transesophageal echocardiogram , diphtheria , virology , vaccination
An 18-year-old woman presented to our institution with fever, bilateral flank pain, headache and photophobia. She had a previous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure device inserted at the age of 9 years. Blood cultures on admission were positive for Corynebacterium diphtheriae , and transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) revealed an echodensity associated with the ASD closure device, most consistent with a vegetation. She was treated for infective endocarditis with 6 weeks of intravenous benzylpenicillin, and follow-up TOE showed resolution of the echodensity. To our knowledge, no cases of C. diphtheriae endocarditis of an ASD closure device have previously been reported.