BRIEF REPORT - CHLAMYDIA-PSITTACI ENDOCARDITIS DIAGNOSED BY BLOOD CULTURE

THERE have been approximately a dozen reported cases of endocarditis due to Chlamydia psittaci, the etiologic agent of psittacosis (ornithosis, or parrot fever). It is not known whether this number reflects a truly low incidence of endocarditis associated with C. psittaci or whether cases are missed because of the difficulty of establishing this diagnosis. Although one study reported an association between exposure to pet birds and subsequent acquired valvular heart disease,1 this finding has not been widely accepted. We describe a woman who presented with culture-negative endocarditis. Despite treatment with a standard antibiotic regimen, the patient required mitral-valve replacement. © 1992, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.