Korean J Med.  2009 Aug;77(Suppl 1):S209-S212.

A case of infective endocarditis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, in a patient with advanced gastric cancer

• Lim TK
• Kim SJ
• Kim JH
• Cho CB
• Kim YJ
• Kim KI
• Lee SS

Abstract

The epidemiology of Group B streptococcal disease has been changing. Since the 1990s, early-onset neonatal and maternal peripartum infections have decreased, due to the administration of prophylactic intrapartum antibiotics. On the other hand, invasive Group B streptococcal infections have increased in nonpregnant adults, especially in elderly persons and in those with chronic immunosuppressive diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, and malignancies. Although infective endocarditis is an uncommon manifestation of invasive Streptococcus agalactiae infection, it usually leads to cardiac surgery, due to heart failure associated with rapid valve destruction and the formation of emboli. Several cases of endocarditis due to S. agalactiae have appeared in the literature, but there have been few reports in Korea. We present a case of S. agalactiae infective endocarditis in an elderly patient with advanced gastric cancer, successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics and cardiac surgery.

Keyword

Streptococcus agalactiae; Endocarditis, bacterial; Stomach neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Diabetes Mellitus
Endocarditis
Endocarditis, Bacterial
Hand
Heart Failure
Humans
Korea
Liver Cirrhosis
Peripartum Period
Stomach Neoplasms
Streptococcal Infections
Streptococcus
Streptococcus agalactiae
Thoracic Surgery
Anti-Bacterial Agents