Nosocomial valve endocarditis due to corynebacterium striatum: a case report

Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase-negative staphylococci, and Enterococci sp. are the usual pathogens involved in nosocomial bacterial endocarditis. Corynebacterium species isolation in blood specimens is usually considered to be a contaminant. We present an interesting case of native mitral valve endocarditis in a 73 year old African American female that was diagnosed days after she was discharged from our institution. The infection was cleared with medical therapy alone.