Enterococcus gallinarum Causing Native Valve Endocarditis

Abstract

Endocarditis due to Enterococcus gallinarum is a rare condition, usually affecting older patients. The most frequent source of infection is the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts; it frequently involves the aortic valve and tends to produce heart failure. We present a case of Enterococcus gallinarum endocarditis developing on a normal native heart valve. Enterococcus gallinarum is intrinsically resistant to vancomycin. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns indicate that most isolates are penicillin and ampicillin-susceptible.

Keywords

• Endocarditis
• Enterococcus gallinarum
• heart failure
• antibiotic