[A protracted course in Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis]

Hemolytic Anemia in a Patient with Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis by Cardiobacterium hominis

Hemolytic anemia is a rarely occurring manifestation of native valve infective endocarditis. We herein report an afebrile patient with hemolytic anemia caused by Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis. A 60-year-old Japanese man had a history of aortic root replacement and the gradual onset of general fatigue. He had hemolytic anemia. Blood cultures detected C. hominis. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed aortic valve vegetation and periannular abscess with perforation of the non-coronary cusp. Intravascular hemolysis recovered after antimicrobial therapy, surgical removal of the vegetation and abscess, and aortic valve replacement. Subacute endocarditis should be considered if patients develop hemolytic anemia with signs of chronic inflammation without a fever.

Antibacterial efficacy of ciprofloxacin in a case of endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis

Endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis is rare and may be treated with a variety of antibiotics. We isolated the bacteria from blood cultures of a patient with Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis who could be successfully treated with ciprofloxacin. The bacterial features of Cardiobacterium hominis are presented, and susceptibility to ciprofloxacin is documented with bacterial killing curves employing peak and trough specimens of patient's serum.