Sphingomonas paucimobilis native valve endocarditis and mycotic cerebral aneurysm in a patient with Crohn’s disease: Case report and review of literature

Abstract

This report describes a case of Sphingomonas paucimobilis bacteremia and infective endocarditis with a mycotic aneurysm in a young patient with Crohn’s disease. Our patient reported prolonged intermittent fever followed by sudden hemiparesis and a tonic clonic convulsion. His blood cultures showed growth of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, and further cardiac imaging revealed the presence of a vegetation with severe valvular regurgitation. Cerebral angiography showed middle cerebral artery occlusion and aneurysm. The patient was treated with meropenem for 6 weeks, coupled with aortic valve replacement, and coiling of the aneurysm. Our patient recovered with good results. S. paucimobilis is an opportunistic gram-negative pathogen of growing importance in the clinical setting.

Keywords

• Sphingomonas paucimobilis
• Bacteremia
• Infective endocarditis
• Mycotic cerebral aneurysm
• Ischemic cerebrovascular event