Enterococcus faecium small colony variant endocarditis in an immunocompetent patient

Abstract

Small colony variants (SCV) are slow-growing subpopulations of bacteria usually associated with auxotrophism, causing persistent or recurrent infections. Enterococcus faecalis SCV have been seldom described, and only one case of Enterococcus faecium SCV has been reported, associated with sepsis in a leukaemia patient. Here we report the first case described of bacteraemia and endocarditis by SCV E. faecium in an immunocompetent patient.

Keywords

• Endocarditis
• Enterococcus
• Enterococcus faecium
• sepsis
• small colony variant