A Rare Case of Aerococcus urinae Mitral Valve Infective Endocarditis With Multiple Septic Emboli to the Brain
<i>Aerococcus urinae</i> is a rarely encountered Gram-positive bacterium that primarily causes urinary tract infections (UTIs), but in rare cases, it can result in bloodstream infections such as bacteremia, infective endocarditis (IE), and septic embolization. Despite its low virulence, <i>A. urinae</i> endocarditis carries high morbidity and mortality due to diagnostic challenges and delayed recognition. We report a case of <i>A. urinae</i> IE involving the native mitral valve, complicated by severe mitral regurgitation and multiple cerebral septic emboli. The patient's course was marked by rapid clinical deterioration despite prompt initiation of guideline-directed antimicrobial therapy and multidisciplinary management involving cardiology, infectious disease (ID), intensive care, and cardiothoracic surgery teams. This case contributes to the growing body of literature recognizing <i>A. urinae</i> as a possible etiologic agent in elderly patients with urinary tract infections and systemic infection. Early echocardiographic assessment, microbial identification, and timely multidisciplinary management are essential to achieving favorable outcomes in such rare cases.
Authors
- Mohammed Elhassan
- Samer Srouji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8837-2391)
Institutions
- Saint Agnes Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-11-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.96475
- Primary Topic
- Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00