Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae infection presenting as endocarditis and liver abscess

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, reported commonly from South-east Asia, is predominantly community-acquired and affects young healthy adults. Although abscesses of liver, brain and muscles, endophthalmitis or osteomyelitis have been reported, Infective endocarditis is a rare manifestation. This report illustrates a patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus who presented with clinical features of liver abscess with an incidental finding of infective endocarditis. Hypervirulent K. pneumoniae, which was isolated from blood culture of the patient carried the plasmid borne key virulence markers-rmpA and rmpA2 with enterobactin (entB), type 3 fimbriae (mrkD) and was of K1 type and ST3321, an uncommon clone of Hypervirulent K. pneumoniae. Transthoracic Echocardiography showed multiple mobile vegetations attached to mitral valve and posterior wall of left ventricle. With appropriate antibiotics blood cultures turned sterile, liver abscess and cardiac vegetations reduced in size. Mitral Valve replacement surgery was proposed. He declined treatment and succumbed to the infection subsequently.

Automated summary

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, commonly found in young healthy adults in Southeast Asia, is a rare but serious disease. This report describes a patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus who presented with symptoms of liver abscess and infective endocarditis. The patient ultimately died from the infection.