Corynebacterium Diphtheriae Endocarditis with Multifocal Septic Emboli: Can Prompt Diagnosis Help Avoid Surgery?

Patient: Male, 23 Final Diagnosis: Corynebacterium diphtheriae endocarditis Symptoms: Abdominal pain • cachexia • diarrhea • fever • vomiting Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Mitral valve replacement Specialty: Surgery OBJECTIVE: Rare disease BACKGROUND: Although Corynebacterium diphtheriae is well known for causing diphtheria and other respiratory tract infections, in very rare cases it can lead to severe systemic disease. CASE REPORT: This is a case of a previously healthy young man (no prosthetic valve in situ or other known congenital defect), presenting with a Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection leading to endocarditis. The patient reported no I.V. drug use, so it can be assumed that no risk factors for infective endocarditis were present. CONCLUSIONS: This report aims to raise suspicion for this specific infection in order to proceed with the right treatment as soon as possible.