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Aortic Valve Endocarditis Caused by Streptococcus acidominimus Following Community‐Acquired Pneumonia in a Patient With Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Infective endocarditis (IE) due to Streptococcus acidominimus is exceedingly rare and poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Traditionally regarded as an animal commensal, this organism is increasingly recognised as a cause of invasive human infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. We report a 40‐year‐old Cambodian man with diabetes mellitus who presented with persistent fever initially managed as community‐acquired pneumonia. Blood cultures later grew S. acidominimus , and he was discharged on oral antibiotics after transient improvement. He was readmitted with recurrent fever, and transesophageal echocardiography revealed aortic valve vegetations with severe regurgitation. The patient received targeted intravenous antibiotics and underwent successful aortic valve replacement, achieving full recovery after six weeks of therapy. This case underscores the need to consider rare pathogens in persistent bacteraemia, repeat cardiac imaging when suspicion remains high despite inconclusive findings, and adopt a multidisciplinary approach to optimise outcomes, particularly in diabetic patients and resource‐limited settings.

Source: Respirology Case Reports

DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.70563