RESUMO
Infective endocarditis is a serious disease associated with high mortality despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is a fastidious Gram-negative member of the HACEK organisms (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella kingae). A. aphrophilus is associated with dental infections but has also been implicated in cases of infective endocarditis. We highlight the importance of a high index of suspicion in symptomatic patients with an initial negative blood culture, particularly in high-risk groups such as patients with congenital valve disease and prosthetic valve. The knowledge of this rare entity may lead to early diagnosis and appropriate management. We review the main characteristics of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus endocarditis reported in the medical literature.
La endocarditis infecciosa es una enfermedad grave que está asociada con una alta mortalidad a pesar de los avances recientes en el diagnóstico y tratamiento. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus es un miembro Gram-negativo de los organismos HACEK (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens y Kingella kingae). A. aphrophilus está relacionado con infecciones dentales, pero también ha estado implicado en casos de endocarditis infecciosa. Se destaca la importancia de tener un alto índice de sospecha en pacientes sintomáticos con un cultivo sanguíneo inicial negativo, especialmente en grupos de alto riesgo como pacientes con enfermedad valvular congénita y válvula protésica. El conocimiento de esta entidad poco común puede llevar a un diagnóstico temprano y un manejo adecuado. Revisamos las principales características de la endocarditis por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus reportadas en la literatura médica.
RESUMO
Candida endocarditis is a severe disease associated with high mortality rates. Candida parapsilosis is frequently identified as the causative pathogen in intravenous drug users and is commonly associated with nosocomial infections, primarily due to its ability to form biofilms on catheters or other foreign bodies. Here, we present a rare case of Candida parapsilosis endocarditis affecting the native tricuspid valve in a 35-year-old male patient with end-stage chronic kidney disease (Stage V), who had a suspected fungal infection related to the left cervical catheter. The patient received treatment with caspofungin and underwent excision of a verrucous tumor on the tricuspid valve. Despite encountering postoperative complications, the patient was discharged on fluconazole treatment and scheduled for follow-up. Candida endocarditis poses a clinical challenge that necessitates a multidisciplinary approach and tailored management due to its infrequent occurrence and higher mortality rate compared to bacterial endocarditis.
La endocarditis por Candida es una enfermedad grave asociada con tasas de mortalidad elevadas. Candida parapsilosis se identifica con frecuencia como un patógeno que afecta usuarios de drogas intravenosas y está comúnmente relacionada con infecciones nosocomiales, principalmente debido a su capacidad para formar biopelículas en catéteres u otros cuerpos extraños. Se presenta un caso inusual de endocarditis por Candida parapsilosis que afecta la válvula tricúspide nativa en un paciente masculino de 35 años con enfermedad renal crónica en etapa terminal (Etapa V), quien tenía una sospecha de infección fúngica relacionada con el catéter cervical izquierdo. El paciente recibió tratamiento con caspofungina y se sometió a la extirpación de un tumor verrugoso en la válvula tricúspide. A pesar de enfrentar complicaciones posoperatorias, el paciente fue dado de alta con tratamiento de fluconazol y se programó un seguimiento. La endocarditis por Candida presenta un desafío clínico que requiere un enfoque multidisciplinario y un manejo personalizado debido a su ocurrencia infrecuente y una tasa de mortalidad más alta en comparación con la endocarditis bacteriana.
RESUMO
Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, surgical, pathological characteristics and outcomes in the follow-up of heart transplant recipients at the National Cardiovascular Institute during 2010-2020. Material and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was performed by reviewing the medical records of patients undergoing heart transplantation at a national referral center, describing the clinical, surgical, laboratory, pathology characteristics and survival of patients up to 10 years of follow-up. Results: Eighty-six patients were transplanted in 10 years, the median age was 41 years (RIQ 28-56), being predominantly male (66.3%). The three leading causes of indication for heart transplantation were: dilated cardiomyopathy (48.9%), ischemic heart disease (17.4%), and myocarditis (6.9%). Total ischemia time was 160 minutes (RIQ 129.7-233.5). Survival at one, five, and ten years was 84.8%, 73.6%, and 65.7% respectively. The main cause of death was non-cardiac: infectious (39.1%) and of unknown origin (26%). Conclusions: The main etiology of heart failure in heart transplant recipients in Peru in recent years was nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. We observed that the survival rate was similar to that of international registries; however, the rate of mortality due to infectious causes and death of unknown origin is high, which poses a challenge in the management of post-transplant patients.