Small colony variants of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a patient with infective endocarditis: a case report and review of the literature.

Staphylococcus aureus produces a particular morphological variant called small colony variant (SCV) which is responsible for persistent subclinical infections in predisposed individuals and is usually resistant to aminoglycosides and cell wall active antibiotics. Infections by SCV of S. aureus are an upcoming problem due to difficulty in laboratory diagnosis and resistance to antimicrobial chemotherapy. We here report a case of infective endocarditis caused by SCV of Staphylococcus aureus in a pediatric patient.