[Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis. A case report].

We report the case of a Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis causing an acute mitral insufficiency complicated of left heart failure. The patient has been treated after a few days by surgical valvuloplasty. Cardiobacterium hominis is a bacteria of the HACCEK group, bacille gram-negative, sometimes anaerobic, difficult to isolate. Recently, Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis appears to be effective for the the diagnosis in the identification of fastidious micro-organisms like Cardiobacterium hominis. We have reviewed in the literature 71 cases of Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis; clinical presentation is often sub-acute, the bacteriological diagnosis is based on hemocultures for which the culture is slow and require enriched environments. Hemodynamic and thrombo-embolic complications are frequent because of the high pathogenicity of the bacteria which provides big and friable vegetations. Despite a high sensibility to antibiotherapy, surgical intervention is often required.