Endocarditis Caused by Culture-Negative Organisms Visible by Brown and Brenn Staining: Utility of PCR and DNA Sequencing for Diagnosis

Two cases of culture-negative endocarditis with cocci seen in valve vegetations are presented. The organisms were identified by molecular analysis using broad-range PCR primers complementary to the 16S rRNA gene, sequencing, and database search using BLAST software. The results and utility of this method are discussed.