Catastrophic Candida prosthetic valve endocarditis and COVID-19 comorbidity: A rare case

Document Type : Case report

Authors

1 Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

2 Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

3 Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

4 Department of Cardiology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

5 Invasive Fungi Research Center(IFRC),Communicable Diseases Institute, and Department of Medical Mycology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

6 Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

10.18502/cmm.7.2.7157

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Candida prostatic valve endocarditis present various clinical manifestations which may overlap;hence, discrimination between them is extremely difficult.
Case report: The case was a 66-year-old man with a past medical history of mitral and aortic valves replacement one year before COVID-19 co-infection. He was admitted with fever (for 7 days), shortness of breath, cough, seizure, lethargy,headache, and 85% oxygen saturation. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed multiple large-sized, highly mobile masses on both sides of the mechanical mitral valve highly suggestive of vegetation. Chest computed tomography scanning showed simulating scattered COVID-19 peripheral ground-glass opacities confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The set of blood cultures yielded
yeast colonies that were identified as Candida tropicalis. The patient died of septic shock shortly after receiving antifungal therapy.
Conclusion: This case emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and
implementation of antifungal treatment, particularly in patients with prosthetic cardiac
valves, to reduce their unfavorable outcomes in COVID-19 patients
 

Keywords


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Volume 7, Issue 2
June 2021
Pages 43-47
  • Receive Date: 30 June 2021
  • Revise Date: 07 September 2021
  • Accept Date: 12 September 2021
  • Publish Date: 01 June 2021