A case of pacemaker associated Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis

Abstract

The use of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED) is associated with improved quality of life and decreased fatal outcomes in patients with cardiac dysfunctions. As with all foreign devices that are inserted or implanted in the body, CIED also carries the risk of device-related infections. Infections account for <2% of the complications associated with CIED, and only about 2% of these are secondary to a fungal pathogen. The first case of Aspergillus endocarditis secondary to a transvenous pacing lead was reported in the 1980s, and a limited number of cases have been documented in the literature since then. Aspergillus endocarditis is a highly fatal disease and establishing the diagnosis sufficiently early is challenging. We here report a case of Aspergillus endocarditis secondary to permanent pacemaker insertion which was successfully treated following the establishment of the diagnosis using imaging studies and galactomannan assay.

Keywords

• aspergillus fumigatus
• cardiovascular implantable electronic device infection
• endocarditis
• galactomannan assay