Oerskovia xanthineolytica endocarditis in a renal transplant patient: case report and review of the literature

Oerskovia species were, until recently, only rarely associated with human disease. This gram-positive bacillus can be easily misidentified as a diphtheroid, a common contaminant in blood cultures. There have been 17 reports of invasive Oerskovia infection in immunocompromised hosts. We report a case of Oerskovia xanthineolytica endocarditis in a renal transplant patient and review the microbiologic and clinical characteristics of this potential pathogen.