Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) prosthetic valve Listeria monocytogenes infective endocarditis. A case report

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is known to cause gastrointestinal tract, meningeal and occasionally blood stream infections in immunocompromised patients. Its often overlooked as a cause of infective endocarditis (IE), more so in patients with prosthetic valves. Case presentation We present an 85-year-old Caucasian man who was admitted with unexplained symptoms of predominantly left-sided heart failure. He was found to have Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia on routine admission blood cultures. A follow up trans-esophageal echocardiography revealed aortic valve vegetations. He markedly improved with complete symptom resolution after six weeks of intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin without surgical intervention. Conclusion: Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for infective endocarditis in elderly patients with prosthetic valves presenting with Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia, as prompt echocardiographic evaluation and prolonged combination antibiotic therapy can prevent complications