[Abiotrophia and Granulicatella]

Abstract

NVS grow in culture media with 0.001% pyridoxal hydrochloride (PHC) and 0.1% cysteine hydrochloride (CysHC). These bacteria need the help of other organisms to grow on common solid media showing the effect known as "satellitism". Both, satellitism and the pyrrolidonilarilamidase test are the key tests for suspecting the presence of NVS. They can grow as a faint haze on blood agar or chocolate agar prepared with the Columbia agar base without adding any other substance. The most frequently documented infections are endocarditis. Among extravascular infections, ocular infections predominate. For antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the Etest and dilution methods with the addition of 0.001% PHC can be used. Whichever the method there does not seem to be much correlation in vitro/ in vivo. The rate of penicillin resistance and the MICs were similar to those observed in viridans group streptococci. Four to six weeks of penicillin plus gentamicin is recommended for the treatment of VNS endocarditis. In cases of treatment failure or beta-lactam allergic susceptibility, vancomycin alone or with the addition of gentamicin and/or rifampin is used.