Endocarditis due to Gemella haemolysans in a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patient

Abstract

An 87-year-old Caucasian woman with hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, and COPD was admitted with 1-week duration of back pain and weight gain. The physical examination revealed jugular venous distention, rales in the left lower lung field, and severe pitting edema over lower extremities. As workup for leukocytosis, blood cultures grew Gemella haemolysans. Subsequently, a transthoracic echocardiogram revealed vegetation on the non-coronary aortic leaflet and mild aortic stenosis. She was treated with ampicillin and gentamicin. After further investigation, the patient was diagnosed with plasma cell myeloma, the monoclonal lambda type. This is the first reported case of G. haemolysans endocarditis in a multiple myeloma patient.

Keywords

• Gemella haemolysans
• endocarditis
• multiple myeloma
• Gemella
• antimicrobial therapy