Key result
16S rDNA sequencing identifies Haemophilus parainfluenzae in culture-negative prosthetic valve endocarditis with aortic root abscess.
Why the study?
Haemophilus parainfluenzae is a rare cause of infective endocarditis with diagnostic challenges and potential for severe complications such as aortic root abscess.
Case Report (n=1)
This case highlights the diagnostic utility of 16S rDNA PCR in culture-negative endocarditis and underscores that H. parainfluenzae can lead to severe complications such as aortic root abscess.
Supports adjunctive 16S rDNA PCR in culture-negative prosthetic valve endocarditis; leaves open need for prospective validation.
Haemophilus parainfluenzae (H. parainfluenzae) is a Gram-negative coccobacillus included in the HACEK-group, a known but rare cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Compared to other causes of IE, it is more frequently associated with complications such as peripheral embolization and large valvular vegetations. A 74-year-old man with a prosthetic aortic valve due to prior IE was diagnosed with H. parainfluenzae IE. Several complications occurred, including an aortic root abscess – an extremely rare manifestation of H. parainfluenzae IE, previously reported only once in the literature. Blood cultures, and culture of valve tissue, were negative. Ultimately, 16S rDNA PCR and sequencing identified H. parainfluenzae as the causative pathogen. This case highlights both the diagnostic challenges and the potential severity of H. parainfluenzae IE, including its ability to cause an aortic root abscess.
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Kvernberg et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Haemophilus parainfluenzae infective endocarditis (n=1). Haemophilus parainfluenzae infection was evaluated. 16S rDNA PCR and sequencing successfully identified Haemophilus parainfluenzae as the cause of a culture-negative prosthetic valve infective endocarditis complicated by a rare aortic root abscess.
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