Aortic valve endocarditis due to lactobacillus casei complicated by stroke and vertebral osteomyelitis: A case report

Lactobacillus species are facultative gram-positive, catalase-negative anaerobic bacilli that are part of the normal bacterial flora of the human gastrointestinal mucosa. They are rarely considered a pathogen but have been reported to cause bacteremia with or without endocarditis among other infections including vertebral osteomyelitis, liver or pelvic abscesses, meningitis, and pneumonia. They can cause disease in patients who are immunocompetent and immunocompromised. Recommended treatment of choice for severe infections due to Lactobacillus species endocarditis is high-dose penicillin in combination with an aminoglycoside

Micromonas micros Infection of a Prosthetic Hip Joint: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Micromonas micros is an oral anaerobic Gram-positive coccus and is a commensal of the mouth, and it is rarely isolated in prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and even less frequently related to a preceding dental procedure with eventual hematogenous seeding of the prosthetic joint. Here, we present a case of a 56-year-old male with a prosthetic hip joint who developed Micromonas micros prosthetic hip joint infection with symptoms starting a few days after a dental procedure and not having received periprocedural antibiotic prophylaxis. He recovered well with surgical intervention and antimicrobial therapy. We conducted a literature review of prosthetic hip joint infections caused by Micromonas micros as well as briefly discuss current guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with prosthetic joints undergoing dental procedures and some knowledge gaps

Metastatic neuroendocrine tumor masquerading as liver abscesses

Fever and deranged transaminases with liver mass(es) on imaging mandates further evaluation of the mass(es) and should be followed radiologically and clinically. In the absence of a definitive diagnosis, repeat biopsy should be done. Keywords: aspiration studies; imaging studies; liver abscess; liver mass; neuroendocrine tumors

Lyme disease and hemi-diaphragmatic paralysis: A case report and review of literature

Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete that can cause Lyme disease from an infected tick bite causing a myriad of syndromes ranging from erythema migrans to oligoarticular arthritis and/or atrioventricular conduction block in the heart. It can also infect the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) causing cranial neuropathy, radiculoneuropathy as well as myelopathy. It has rarely been reported to involve the phrenic nerve presenting as dyspnea from diaphragmatic paralysis. Here, we present a case of a patient presenting with orthopnea and dyspnea on exertion who was diagnosed with Lyme disease causing unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis with resolution after treatment

A case of native tricuspid valve Neisseria mucosa/sicca species infective endocarditis complicated by septic pulmonary emboli

We report a rare case of native tricuspid valve infective endocarditis caused by Neisseria mucosa/sicca, a gram-negative diplococcus which colonizes the upper respiratory tract. A female in her late 20 s with a history of injection drug use (IDU) who recently completed treatment for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) native tricuspid valve infective endocarditis presented to the hospital with a 6-week history of increasing chest pain, shortness of breath and night sweats. Blood cultures grew Neisseria mucosa/sicca species in 3 of 3 sets. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a large 3 cm × 2.2 cm vegetation on the tricuspid valve with severe regurgitation. The patient was initially treated with ceftriaxone and gentamicin. Her case was complicated by ongoing septic pulmonary emboli ultimately require pulmonary endarterectomy and repair of her tricuspid valve. We hope this case highlights a rare but known cause of infective endocarditis especially in patients with a history of IDU who may lick their needles, which predisposes those individuals to intravenous introduction of oral bacteria. Keywords: Infective endocarditis; Intravenous drug use; Neisseria; Septic pulmonary emboli; Tricuspid valve

Cytomegalovirus Reactivation after Bendamustine-Based Chemotherapy: A Case Report

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a DNA hepadnavirus, commonly implicated in reactivation disease after immunosuppression, especially in solid-organ and stem cell transplant patients. Bendamustine is an alkylating chemotherapeutic agent introduced into the management of hematological malignancies within the last decade. Few reports have raised potential concern for CMV reactivation disease after bendamustine therapy involving, but not limited to, the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, retina, and viremia. Cytomegalovirus reactivation in such instances should be added to the differential diagnoses for febrile nonneutropenic immunocompromised patients. Here, we report a case of an elderly gentleman recently diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma who was started on chemotherapy with rituximab, bendamustine, and dexamethasone and developed CMV colitis and viremia after just 2 cycles of chemotherapy. © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Author keywords bendamustine; cytomegalovirus; cytomegalovirus disease; cytomegalovirus reactivatio