[Haemophilus parainfluenzae--a rare cause of endocarditis].

Haemophilus parainfluenzae endocarditis is a rare acute or subacute disease. It is usually associated with dental and surgical procedures in the oral cavity. In a 23-year-old athlete admitted to Department of Infectious Diseases, Split University Hospital, the diagnosis of infective endocarditis was established based on Duke's criteria. The patient was not exposed to risky medical procedures nor he had a predisposing heart disease. The course of illness was characterized by peripheral embolizations (splinter hemorrhages and petechiae) and vegetation on the dorsal mitral valve. After seven days of incubation, blood cultures revealed Haemophilus parainfluenzae. The patient was treated intravenously with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid plus gentamicin for four weeks. Peroral therapy was continued with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid alone for two weeks. By the end of treatment, heart ultrasound showed disappearance of endocardial vegetation. Echocardiographic and clinical examinations performed at 3, 6 and 12 months of therapy showed no pathological aberrations.