Campylobacter fetus is a Gram-negative bacillus typically associated with bacteremia in immunocompromised patients. Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a serious complication of prosthetic valve surgery, with a high mortality rate if not treated promptly. We present a rare case of PVE caused by C. fetus. A man in his mid-60s presented to the Emergency Department with a fever and showed elevated C-reactive protein concentrations. He had prosthetic mitral and aortic valve replacement surgery 15 years previously. Gram-negative rods were detected in a blood culture. These rods were identified as C. fetus using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The patient was treated with gentamicin and imipenem, and underwent valve replacement surgery. C. fetus was isolated in a left atrial appendage swab obtained during the surgery. Follow-up blood cultures were negative after treatment. However, after a cardiac arrest event, the patient's general condition deteriorated, and he died. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PVE caused by C. fetus in Korea and the second fatality to date. This case highlights the importance of considering C. fetus as a potential cause of PVE, even in patients without known risk factors.
Keywords: 16S rRNA gene sequencing; Campylobacter fetus; bacteremia; matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry; prosthetic valve endocarditis; valve replacement surgery.