Abstract
•Infective endocarditis due to Neisseria elongata is a rare disease primarily affecting the left cardiac valves.•Neisseria elongata presents similarities with the HACEK group organisms and can potentially cause infective endocarditis.•Embolic complications are common. Medical treatment usually suffices to ensure a satisfactory outcome.
Neisseria elongata (NE), a Gram-negative, rod-shaped organism, was previously thought to be non-pathogenic. However, in recent years it has become increasingly recognized as a rare cause of infective endocarditis. In this paper, we report a case of NE infective endocarditis and provide a review of the literature.
To describe a case of NE endocarditis, and to review the literature in search of any similar cases of this rare condition.
Our patient is a 77-year-old, otherwise healthy female patient who was found to have mitral valve endocarditis with valve regurgitation.
NE endocarditis is a rare condition that typically affects the left cardiac chambers and is associated with high risk of embolization. A literature review retrieved 35 other cases.
Our report underlines the rarity of NE endocarditis, insofar as relatively few cases have been reported. The bacterium presents similarities with HACEK organisms and can potentially cause infective endocarditis.