Late-Onset Prosthetic Endocarditis with Paraaortic Abscess Caused by Cutibacterium acnes

Cutibacterium acnes, an integral component of the skin’s customary bacterial flora, represents a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium characterized by its low virulence. Despite its low virulence, the pathogen can cause profound-seated infections as well as infections linked to medical devices. We repo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Infectious disease reports Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 635 - 641
Main Authors:	Velollari, Ornela, Reinhardt, Christian Malte, Knorr, Maike, Schnitzler, Katharina, Graafen, Dirk, Miederer, Matthias, von Bardeleben, Ralph Stephan, Münzel, Thomas, Schmidt, Kai-Helge, Giebels, Christian, Schäfers, Hans-Joachim, Hobohm, Lukas
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Basel MDPI AG 01-10-2023 MDPI
Subjects:	Abscesses Antibiotics Aorta Aortic valve Bacteria Blood Blood culture Case Report Case reports Contamination Coronary vessels Cutibacterium acnes Echocardiography Endocarditis Flora Glucose metabolism Heart failure Heart valves Hematoma Hospitals Imaging techniques Infections Inflammation Medical devices Medical equipment Medical imaging Middle age Morbidity Mortality Pathogens Positron emission Positron emission tomography Prostheses prosthetic aortic valve rRNA 16S Surgery Tomography Ultrasonic imaging Virulence Weight loss
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Summary:	Cutibacterium acnes, an integral component of the skin’s customary bacterial flora, represents a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium characterized by its low virulence. Despite its low virulence, the pathogen can cause profound-seated infections as well as infections linked to medical devices. We report a case study of a prosthesis endocarditis accompanied by a paraaortic abscess caused by C. acnes, a development occurring five years prior to composite aortic root and valve replacement. At the point of admission, the patient presented with a combination of symptoms hinting at a subacute progression, such as weight loss, chest pain, and limitations of cardiopulmonary functionality. An anaerobic pathogen, namely C. acnes, was detected in a singular blood culture vial. Since first-line imaging modalities such as echocardiography did not reveal any signs of inflammation, and in the case of a suspected diagnosis for IE, did not show high pretest probability, further diagnostic imaging such as 18F-FDG PET CT was put to use. Here, a highly elevated glucose metabolism around the aortic valve ring was detected, pointing to an inflammatory process. The patient received adjusted intravenous antibiotic therapy over a course of six weeks; he then underwent surgical therapy via re-replacement of the aortic root and valve using a composite conduit. Advanced microbiological analyses, including the amplification of PCR and valve sequencing via 16S rDNA, mainly detected one pathogen: C. acnes. Delayed onset with mild symptoms and laboratory findings is characteristic of infective endocarditis by C. acnes. Due to its high rate of complications, mortality, and morbidity, an infection should not be disregarded as contamination. Recommendations from different studies underline a combination of a positive blood culture and microbiological evidence to differentiate between contamination and true infection in the case of an infection involving C. acnes. Serial blood cultures with prolonged incubation, advanced microbiological analyses, and modified Duke criteria including second-line imaging techniques should be utilized for further evaluation.
ISSN:	2036-7449 2036-7430 2036-7449
DOI:	10.3390/idr15050059