Actinobacillus (Aggregatibacter) actinomycetemcomitans (HACEK) identified by PCR/16S rRNA sequence analysis from the heart valve in a patient with blood culture negative endocarditis

Katarina Westling; Martin Vondracek

doi:10.1080/00365540802325922

Actinobacillus (Aggregatibacter) actinomycetemcomitans (HACEK) identified by PCR/16S rRNA sequence analysis from the heart valve in a patient with blood culture negative endocarditis

Scand J Infect Dis. 2008;40(11-12):981-3. doi: 10.1080/00365540802325922.

Authors

Katarina Westling¹, Martin Vondracek

Affiliation

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Katarina.Westling@ki.se

PMID: 18720255
DOI: 10.1080/00365540802325922

Abstract

We report a case of infective endocarditis caused by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans) from the HACEK group diagnosed by PCR/16S from the heart valve. Multiple blood cultures and cultures from heart valve were negative and cardiac surgery was performed due to therapeutic and cardiac failures. Molecular biological methods are useful in such a patient, to choose an optimal antibiotic treatment post-surgery.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Actinobacillus Infections / drug therapy
Actinobacillus Infections / microbiology*
Aged
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / isolation & purification*
Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Endocarditis, Bacterial / drug therapy
Endocarditis, Bacterial / microbiology*
Humans
Male
Polymerase Chain Reaction*
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S