Polymicrobial endocarditis involving Veillonella parvula in an intravenous drug user: case report and literature review of Veillonella endocarditis

Excerpt

Veillonella spp. are strictly anaerobic, Gram-negative cocci able to ferment various substrates (pyruvate and lactate) that usually present as commensals in the oral, gastrointestinal, and female genital tract microflora [1]. This genus has been reported to be pathogenically involved in periodontitis, periodontal abscess, and various acute oral conditions. In addition, Veillonella spp. may be exceptionally involved in severe infections, including meningitis, osteomyelitis, or prosthetic joint infection [2]. Infective endocarditis (IE) constitutes one of the most serious, albeit uncommon, complications of bloodstream infection (BSI) by Veillonella spp. in patients with predisposing conditions such as valvular heart disease or intravenous (IV) drug abuse [3]. Here we describe a case of IE due to V. parvula in an IV drug user (IDU) and review the scarce literature on this entity. …