Endocarditis Due to Staphylococcus lugdunensis: Report of 11 Cases and Review

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 871 - 876
• Main Authors: Vandenesch, François, Etienne, Jerome, Reverdy, Marie Elisabeth, Eykyn, Susannah J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-11-1993; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Infectious Disease Articles; Combined Modality Therapy; Community-Acquired Infections - drug therapy; Community-Acquired Infections - etiology; Community-Acquired Infections - surgery; Endocarditis; Endocarditis, Bacterial - drug therapy; Endocarditis, Bacterial - etiology; Endocarditis, Bacterial - surgery; Female; Heart Defects, Congenital - complications; Heart Valve Prosthesis - adverse effects; Heart valves; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Penicillin; Plasmids; Prosthetics; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - etiology; Staphylococcal Infections - surgery; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus - pathogenicity; Staphylococcus lugdunensis; Vegetation; Virulence; Wound Infection - complications; Human; Prognosis; Mortality; Bibliographic survey; Cardiovascular disease; Infection; Case study; community acquired infection; Heart disease; Endocardial disease; Endocarditis; Bacteriosis; Staphylococcal infection
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/clinids/17.5.871

Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a recently described coagulase-negative staphylococcus that has been associated with human infections, including nine reported cases of infective endocarditis. The present study describes 11 other cases of infective endocarditis caused by this organism. The infection occurred in patients whose mean age was 61 years and was community-acquired in most cases. A preexisting cardiac abnormality was present in eight patients. Three of the 11 infections involved prosthetic valves. Ten strains were susceptible to penicillin. The destructive course of the infection, the need for valve replacement, and the high mortality suggest that S. lugdunensis causes a virulent form of endocarditis.