Triple Valve Infective Endocarditis in an Immunocompetent Patient.

BACKGROUND

Triple valve endocarditis remains extremely rare and is medically challenging due to lack of clinical evidence for best strategy.

CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old man diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and emphysema presented with worsening dyspnea, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss for 5 months. He was diagnosed with triple valve infective endocarditis complicated with decompensated heart failure and severe thrombocytopenia. After medical treatment at initial stage, he underwent successful surgical treatment strategy.

DISCUSSION: Enterococcal endocarditis constitutes only 14% of cases in multivalvular infective endocarditis and is associated with relapse and death. This case is unique because the patient was immunocompetent with enterococcal multivalvular infective endocarditis. The index patient did not fulfill criteria for antibiotic prophylaxis and ended up having life-threatening complications, challenging the European Society of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline-recommended practice.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: A multidisciplinary approach reduces mortality, and medical optimization before surgery is crucial. This case highlights the need for a tailored approach in cases that do not meet the standard antibiotic prophylaxis criteria.