Pasteurella multocida aortic valve endocarditis: case report and literature review

Abstract

Pasteurella multocida is a rare cause of infective endocarditis that occurs mostly in immunocompromised patients and is therefore associated with a high mortality rate. The case is reported of a 48-year-old male patient with liver cirrhosis, who developed aortic valve endocarditis caused by P. multocida. The infection was detected by blood cultures. The patient presented with generalized symptoms and initial neurologic symptoms suggestive of meningitis. Transthoracic echocardiography conducted after the discovery of a diastolic murmur revealed a large vegetation on the aortic valve, and notable insufficiency. These findings were confirmed at surgery, where-upon the patient underwent aortic valve replacement using a bioprosthetic valve. Subsequently he developed a recurrent episode of endocarditis that was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy. Other similar cases reported in the literature are reviewed.