Purpose: Here we describe a patient admitted for a stroke that was unexpectedly correlated with subclinical infective endocarditis attributable to a rarely opportunistic pathogen, Abiotrophia defectiva.
Case report: A 75-year-old man presented with a stroke. Transesophageal echocardiography suggested vegetation on all aortic valve cusps, despite the absence of clinical or laboratory signs of infection. Surprisingly, three sets of blood cultures collected without fever were positive for A. defectiva. Although the patient did not exhibit classic signs of infection during hospitalization, the severity of the valve condition necessitated replacement with a bioprosthesis.
Conclusions: This clinical case underscores the importance of investigating the infective origin of endocarditis, even in the absence of clinical or laboratory evidence. Physicians should maintain a high level of suspicion, especially in patients with highly suggestive anamnestic characteristics.
Keywords: Abiotrophia defectiva; Blood cultures; Case report; Infective endocarditis; MALDI-TOF; Valve replacement.
© 2025. The Author(s).