A Pediatric Case of Cardiobacterium Hominis Endocarditis after Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction

Cardiobacterium hominis, a member of the HACEK group of organisms, is a rare cause of endocarditis and is even rarer in pediatric population. In this report, we present a case of infective endocarditis caused by C. hominis in a 16-year-old Tunisian girl who had undergone right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction using a Hancock® heterograft for double outlet right ventricle with pulmonary stenosis. Two weeks before admission, the patient suffered from worsened shortness of breath and fever. Tranthoracic echocardiography revealed right ventricular outflow tract stenosis and vegetation attached to the leaflet conduit. The Subsequent blood cultures grew Cardiobacterium hominis and the patient was treated successfully with 6 weeks of intravenous ceftriaxone therapy. Conduit replacement was performed after appropriate antibiotic therapy with favourable course.