Sphingomonas paucimobilis native valve endocarditis and mycotic cerebral aneurysm in a patient with Crohn’s disease: Case report and review of literature

This report describes a case of Sphingomonas paucimobilis bacteremia and infective endocarditis with a mycotic aneurysm in a young patient with Crohn’s disease. Our patient reported prolonged intermittent fever followed by sudden hemiparesis and a tonic clonic convulsion. His blood cultures showed growth of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, and further cardiac imaging revealed the presence of a vegetation with severe valvular regurgitation. Cerebral angiography showed middle cerebral artery occlusion and aneurysm. The patient was treated with meropenem for 6 weeks, coupled with aortic valve replacement, and coiling of the aneurysm. Our patient recovered with good results. S. paucimobilis is an opportunistic gram-negative pathogen of growing importance in the clinical setting. •Sphingomonas paucimobilis is present in hospital settings, especially around water sources.•Implicated in a variety of nosocomial and community-acquired infections of various sites and severity.•Immunosuppression, malignancy, and diabetes mellitus are its associated comorbidities.•It is rarely the causative organism of infective endocarditis with a favorable prognosis.