The first report of Staphylococcus argenteus endocarditis with visualized valve vegetations

Abstract

Staphylococcus argenteus was recently defined as a species and has previously often been mistaken for Staphylococcus aureus due to the difficulties of conventional laboratory methods to distinguish the two species. The clinical presentation of infections caused by S. argenteus is largely unknown, and its virulence has since the definition of the species been debated. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first case of infective endocarditis due to S. argenteus with valve vegetations visualized on echocardiography. The 74-year-old male patient with biological aortic valve prothesis presented with a rapid onset of diffuse symptoms and his condition hastily deteriorated to septic shock followed by several complications such as intracranial septic emboli, severe heart failure, and intracardiac thrombus. After conservative treatment and management of the multiple complications, the patient recovered and was eventually discharged to his original housing situation.

Keywords

• Infective endocarditis
• Endocarditis
• Staphylococcus argenteus
• Sepsis
• Echocardiography
• Bacteremia