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Images in cardiovascular medicine
Large vegetation in a case of bacterial endocarditis by a rare commensal organism: Kocura rosea
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  1. Navin Agrawal,
  2. Mallesh Kariyappa,
  3. Soumya Patra,
  4. Iranna Hirapur,
  5. Ashish Agarwal,
  6. Manjunath Cholenhally Nanjappa
  1. Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Navin Agrawal, Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru 560069, Karnataka, India; drnavinagrawal{at}gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/heartasia-2014-010499

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    Large vegetations are usually seen in cases of fungal endocarditis and most cases of bacterial endocarditis are associated with a single or multiple small vegetations, most of which are usually too small to be visible on a transthoracic echocardiogram.

    We present a case of a middle-aged man with a prior history of moderate rheumatic mitral regurgitation who had a history of having received complete treatment for bacterial endocarditis. The patient presented for valve replacement surgery for severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation which had been worsened by the endocarditis. The patient had a giant vegetation attached to the mitral valve which was 2.2×1.6 cm (see figures 1 and 2 and online supplementary videos 1–4).

    Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Apical four chambered view showing a large and partially calcified vegetation attached to the mitral valve.

    Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Parasternal long axis view showing a large calcified vegetation.

    The endocarditis was caused by a rare organism, Kocuria rosea, which is a Gram-positive coagulase-negative coccoid actinobacteria belonging to the family Micrococcaceae. The organism is typically a commensal and is often isolated from soil and water. It has occasionally been implicated in urinary tract infections and may cause systemic infection in immunocompromised patients.1 Cases of endocarditis caused by Kocuria rosea have rarely been reported,2 and there are no reports of the presence of giant vegetation caused by this organism. There have been rare reports of patients having giant vegetations with bacterial endocarditis caused by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus.3 ,4

    The patient underwent successful mitral valve replacement and has been stable during follow-up. This case illustrates the fact that the mere presence of a giant vegetation, although suggestive, is not definitive for fungal endocarditis and may even may be seen in the case of organisms conventionally considered atypical for endocarditis.

    References

    1. ↵
      1. Savini V,
      2. Catavitello C,
      3. Masciarelli G,
      4. et al
      . Drug sensitivity and clinical impact of members of the genus Kocuria. J Med Microbiol 2010;59:1395–402.
      OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
    2. ↵
      1. Srinivasa KH,
      2. Agrawal N,
      3. Agarwal A,
      4. et al
      . Dancing vegetations: Kocuria rosea endocarditis. BMJ Case Rep 2013 Jun 28. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-010339
    3. ↵
      1. Paluszkiewicz L,
      2. Börgermann J,
      3. Płońska-Gościniak E,
      4. et al
      . Infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus agalactiae giant mitral valve vegetation. Kardiol Pol 2013;71:1096.
      OpenUrl
    4. ↵
      1. Zee-Cheng CS,
      2. Gibbs HR,
      3. Johnson KP,
      4. et al
      . Giant vegetation due to Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis simulating left atrial myxoma. Am Heart J 1986;111:414–17.
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    Supplementary materials

    • Supplementary Data

      This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content.

      Files in this Data Supplement:

    Footnotes

    • Contributors All the authors contributed to the drafting and finalising of the manuscript and to patient care.

    • Funding Funded by institutional funds.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.