A rare case of infective endocarditis in a quadricuspid aortic valve caused by Gemella sanguinis

Abstract

Infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with a quadricusp aortic valve (QAV) is a rare occurrence that has only been described nine times in English literature. Similar in rarity, IE by Gemella sanguinis has only been described ten times. It has never been described in a patient with QAV. We describe a case of Gemella sanguinis infective endocarditis of a quadricusp aortic valve in a patient in his 4^th decade of life. His QAV was detected on pre-operative transesophageal echocardiogram and confirmed intra-operatively. The patient was managed with bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement and a 6-week course of intravenous antibiotics.