Successful surgical treatment of a case of listeria monocytogenes endocarditis.

Endocarditis due to listeria monocytogenes is rare with only twenty one cases to our knowledge appearing in the world's literature to date. We report a further case with a successful surgical outcome and stress the importance of surgery in the treatment of infective endocarditis. There is a clear predilection of this organism for the left side of the heart and systemic embolization is frequent. In contrast to other clinical forms of listeriosis, endocarditis has not been associated with debilitating states or immunosuppressive treatments. Though clinical and laboratory data suggest a similarity with other types of bacterial endocarditis, the prognosis is more unfavorable and the mortality rate higher.