Abstract
Described here are three cases of acute native valve endocarditis due to the coagulase-negative pathogen Staphylococcus lugdunensis with serious complications. Two of the three patients died despite optimal antibiotic therapy and cardiovascular surgery. These cases demonstrate the aggressive nature of S. lugdunensis and emphasize the importance of identifying coagulase-negative staphylococci to the species level and not considering the isolation of S. lugdunensis from normally sterile body fluids as contamination. On the contrary, when this organism is found in patients with endocarditis, early surgery should be considered. The possibility that this organism could be misidentified as S. aureus because of ‘autocoagulation’ and that commercial identification systems may misidentify it as S. haemolyticus, S. hominis or S. warneri should also be remembered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Von Eiff C, Peters G, Heilmann C (2002) Pathogenesis of infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. Lancet Infect Dis 2:677–685
Van der Mee-Marquet N, Achard A, Mereghetti L, Danton A, Minier M, Quetin R (2003) Staphylococcus lugdunensis infections: high frequency of inguinal area carriage. J Clin Microbiol 41:1404–1409
Jones RM, Jackson MA, Ong C, Lofland GK (2002) Endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Pediatr Infect Dis 21:265–268
Patel R, Piper KE, Rouse MS, Uhl JR, Cockerill FR III, Steckelberg JM (2000) Frequency of isolation of Staphylococcus lugdunensis among staphylococcal isolates causing endocarditis: a 20-year experience. J Clin Microbiol 38:4262–4263
Sotutu V, Carapetis J, Wilkinson J, Davis A, Curtis N (2002) The ‘surreptitious Staphylococcus’: Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis in a child. Pediatr Infect Dis J 21:984–986
Seenivasan MH, Yu VL (2003) Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis: the hidden peril of coagulase-negative staphylococcus in blood cultures. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 22:489–491
Camacho M, Guis S, Mattei JP, Costello R, Roudier J (2002) Three-year outcome in a patient with Staphylococcus lugdunensis discitis. Joint Bone Spine 69:85–87
Greig JM, Wood MJ (2003) Staphylococcus lugdunensis vertebral osteomyelitis. Clin Microbiol Infect 9:1139–1141
Renzulli A, Della Corte A, Torella M, Dialetto G, Cotrufo M (2000) Mitral and aortic valve endocarditis due to Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Tex Heart Inst J 27:67–69
Herchline TE, Ayers LW (1991) Occurrence of Staphylococcus lugdunensis in consecutive clinical cultures and relationship of isolation to infection. J Clin Microbiol 29:419–421
Fervenza F, Contreras GE, Garratt KN, Steckelberg JM (1999) Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis: a complication of vasectomy? Mayo Clin Proc 74:1227–1230
Shuttleworth R, Colby D (1992) Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis. J Clin Microbiol 30:1948–1952
Sheppard M, Jankwoski S (1992) Staphylococcal lugdunensis endocarditis. J Infect 25:116–117
Vandenesch F, Etienne J, Reverdy ME, Eykyn SJ (1993) Endocarditis due to Staphylococcus lugdunensis: report of 11 cases and review. Clin Infect Dis 17:871–876
Waterer G, Wilson R, Dimmitt S, Watson M (1997) Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis. Aust NZ J Med 27:84–85
Freney J, Brun Y, Bes M, Meugnier H, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Nervi C, Fleurette J (1988) Staphylococcus lugdunensis sp. nov. and Staphylococcus schleiferi sp. nov., two species from human clinical specimens. Int J Syst Bacteriol 38:168–172
Paterson DL, Nuttall N (1997) Serious infections due to Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Aust NZ J Med 27:591
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Van Hoovels, L., De Munter, P., Colaert, J. et al. Three cases of destructive native valve endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 24, 149–152 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-1280-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-1280-3