Native Valve Endocarditis Due to Pseudallescheria boydii in a Patient with AIDS: Case Report and Review

Pseudallescheria boydii, a soil-inhabiting fungus recognized as the most common cause of mycetoma in the United States, is increasingly being reported as a pathogen in immunocompromised hosts [1]. Disseminated pseudallescheriasis, invasive pneumonitis, endophthalmitis, sinusitis, brain abscesses, and prosthetic valve endocarditis due to infection with this organism have been described in patients with a variety of underlying disorders [2-6]. Here we report the clinical, microbiologic, and pathologic findings of a case of infective endocarditis caused by I? boydii infection of a native heart valve in a patient with AIDS.