Endocarditis due to Enterococcus gallinarum is a rare condition, usually affecting older patients. The most frequent source of infection is the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts; it frequently involves the aortic valve and tends to produce heart failure. We present a case of Enterococcus gallinarum endocarditis developing on a normal native heart valve. Enterococcus gallinarum is intrinsically resistant to vancomycin. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns indicate that most isolates are penicillin and ampicillin-susceptible.
Learning points: Endocarditis due to Enterococcus gallinarum is rare.Enterococcus gallinarum is intrinsically resistant to vancomycin.Most isolates are penicillin and ampicillin-susceptible.
Keywords: Endocarditis; Enterococcus gallinarum; antibiotic; heart failure.