Loading...
Most cases of blood culture–negative endocarditis can be explained by recent antibiotic exposure; some, however, reflect infection with fastidious organisms, such as Tropheryma whipplei. Pathogen identification is crucial in defining the optimal antimicrobial regimen.
To explore the incidence of T. whipplei infection, investigators performed an observational cohort study involving patients at two university medical centers in Germany who underwent valve-replacement surgery between 2000 and 2007 (N=1135). Explanted valve tissue was evaluated by culture, polymerase chain reaction, fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical testing, and histopathologic examination.
Bacterial colonization was detected in valves from 255 patients. T. …