Lactobacillus acidophilus endocarditis
Penot, J.P.; Lagrange, P.; Darodes, N.; Ploy, M.C.; Violet, T.; Virot, P.; Mansour, L.; Bensaid, J.
Presse Medicale 27(21): 1009-1012
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0755-4982 PMID: 9767820 Document Number: 492266
Lactobacillus is a commensal germ found in the buccal cavity, the digestive tract and the vagina. Usually non-pathogenic except in case of dental caries, it can occasionally be the causal agent in severe endocarditis. A 70-year-old woman developed endocarditis on an aortic valve bioprosthesis. Lactobacillus acidophilus was isolated from blood cultures of the valve after surgery. Forty-four cases of Lactobacillus endocarditis have been reported in the literature to date. Mortality is high (26%). The main difficulty in treatment is germ tolerance to penicillin and aminosides found in all cases. Cure requires high dose parenteral antibiotics and surgery in many cases (26%).