Back pain as the initial presentation of subacute bacterial endocarditis in a patient with a complex medical history.

Infective endocarditis (IE) poses a diagnostic challenge due to its diverse clinical presentations, especially among high-risk groups. Diagnosis relies on integrating clinical presentation, blood cultures and imaging findings. Advanced imaging techniques enhance diagnostic accuracy, particularly in complex cases. Treatment involves antimicrobial therapy and surgery in complicated cases, with early intervention crucial for optimal outcomes. Coordinated care by an Endocarditis Team ensures tailored treatment plans, prompt complication management and long-term monitoring after discharge. The authors present a case of subacute IE presenting initially with back pain in a patient with a complex medical history, highlighting diagnostic and management approaches.

A case report of PR-3-ANCA-positive glomerulonephritis with histological features of GPA associated with infectious endocarditis.

RATIONALE: Several renal diseases are associated with infectious endocarditis. However, there are few reports on patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) associated with infectious endocarditis, and there is no consensus for appropriate treatment. PATIENTS CONCERNS: A 35 -years-old man with congenital ventricular septal defect presented severe anemia, hematuria and proteinuria. The blood and urine examinations showed elevated white blood cells (12,900 cells/µL), C-reactive protein level (13.1 mg/dL) and proteinase 3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) level (11.0 IU/mL), severe anemia (hemoglobin: 6.1 g/dL) and renal dysfunction [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): 12.7 ml/min.1.78 m2 with hematuria and proteinuria]. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed with crescentic glomerulonephritis with histological features of GPA associated with infectious endocarditis by renal biopsy and transthoracic echocardiography. INTERVENTIONS: Antibacterial drugs (ampicillin-sulbactam) were administrated. No immunomodulating agents were used because immunosuppressive drugs may worsen infectious endocarditis. Subsequently, renal function and urinary findings improved. However, infectious endocarditis was not improved. Therefore, valve replacements and ventricular septal closure surgery were conducted. OUTCOMES: Thereafter, his postoperative course was uneventful, renal function improved (eGFR: 64.3 ml/min.1.78 m2), and PR3-ANCA level normalized. LESSONS: We reported a case report of PR3-ANCA positive glomerulonephritis with histological features of GPA associated with infectious endocarditis. Physicians might note this renal complication when they manage infectious endocarditis.

Two Cases of Proteinase 3-Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (PR3-ANCA)-related Nephritis in Infectious Endocarditis.

We herein report two cases of proteinase 3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA)-related nephritis in infectious endocarditis. In both cases, the patients were middle-aged men with proteinuria and hematuria, hypoalbuminemia, decreased kidney function, anemia, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and PR3-ANCA positivity. Each had bacteremia, due to Enterococcus faecium in one and Streptococcus bovis in the other. One patient received aortic valve replacement therapy for aortic regurgitation with vegetation, and the other underwent tricuspid valve replacement therapy and closure of a ventricular septic defect to treat tricuspid regurgitation with vegetation. These patients' urinary abnormalities and PR3-ANCA titers improved at 6 months after surgery following antibiotic treatment without steroid therapy.

Fever of unknown origin--diagnostic methods in a European developing country.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Fewer of unknown origin (FUO) remains amongst the most difficult diagnostic dilemmas in contemporary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of FU and to identify the methods of diagnosis in patients with FUO in a tertiary care setting in the Republic of Macedonia. METHODS: Retrospectively histories of 123 immunocompetent patients older than 14 years with classical FUO that had been examined at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions in the city of Skopje, during the period 2006-2012 were evaluated. FUO was defined as axillary fever of ≥ 37.5 °C on several occasions, fever duration of more than 21 days and failure to reach the diagnosis after the initial diagnostic workup comprised of several defined basic investigations. RESULTS: Infections were the cause of FUO in 51 (41.5%) of the patients, followed by non-infective inflammatory disorders (NIID) in 28 (22.8%), miscellaneous in 12 (9.7%) and neoplasm in 11 (8.9%) of the patients. Twenty one of the patients (17.1%) remained undiagnosed. The most common causes for FUO were visceral leishmaniasis, abscesses, urinary tract infections, subacute endocarditis, polymyalgia rheumatica and adult onset of Still disease. The final diagnosis was reached with histology in 24 (23.5%), imaging and endoscopic procedures in 21 (20.6%), clinical course and empiric therapy response in 20 (19.6%), serology in 18 (17.6%) and cultures in 16 (15.7%) of the cases. CONCLUSION: In the Republic of Macedonia infections are the leading cause of FUO, predominately visceral leishmaniasis. In the future in patients with prolonged fever, physicians should think more often of this disease, as well as of the possibility of atypical presentation of the common classical causes of FUO.

A rare case of fungal endocarditis caused by Candida glabrata after completion of antibiotic therapy for Streptococcus endocarditis.

We present the rare case of a 76-year-old female with infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Candida glabrata. Immediately before developing the present infection, she developed IE with vegetation on the mitral annular calcification, which was caused by Streptococcus mitis and successfully treated with penicillin-G and gentamicin. However, her fever recurred, and she developed disseminated intravascular coagulation. Blood culture revealed C. glabrata, and echocardiography revealed new vegetation on the mitral valve. After 4 weeks of treatment with micafungin, prosthetic valve replacement was performed, followed by additional administration of micafungin for 4 weeks (total of 8 weeks). No relapse at 9 months after surgery has been observed. C. glabrata endocarditis is extremely rare and difficult to manage. Our case and review of past reported cases suggest that early diagnosis and initiation of treatment contribute to good prognosis of C. glabrata endocarditis.

Endocardite infecciosa bacteriana originada a partir de procedimentos odontológicos / Infective bacterial endocarditis derived from dental procedures

Introdução: A endocardite infecciosa bacteriana (EIB) é uma infecção séria das válvulas cardíacas ou das superfícies endoteliais do coração. É causada por proliferação bacteriana nas superficies cardíacas alteradas. Na flora presente na cavidade bucal existem microorganismo que são usualmente agentes causais da EIB, como: estreptococos alfa-hemolíticos, enterococos (Streptococcus faecalis), pneumococos, estafilococos e estreptococos do grupo A. As manipulações dentárias constituem a causa principal de bacteriemia transitória, podendo desencadear EIB. Objetivo: O objetivo proposto no presente artigo foi o de realizar uma uma revisão bibliográfica, envolvendo artigos originais e de revisão sobre a repercussão provocada por procedimentos odontológicos no desencadeamento da EIB. Método: Foram utilizadas para consulta as bases de dados: Scopus, Lilacs, correspondente aos anos de 2005 a 2012, nos idiomas inglês e português. Foram encontrados 34 artigos, dos quais sete foram excluídos por não satifazerem aos critérios de inclusão adotados. Resultados: Em 75% dos artigos consultados, tornou-se clara a evidenciação do perigo eminente que há de, concomitantemente a uma intervenção dentária que conduza ao sangramento, propiciar-se o aparecimento de manisfestação sistêmica desfavorável, como bacterimia com posterior instalação de EIB. Conclusão: Conclui-se que é de extremada importância a conscientização por parte do cirurgião dentista de que ao intervir, mesmo na prática de um procedimento simples, poder propiciar, concomitantemente, o aparecimento de manisfestação sistêmica desfavorável à saúde geral dos seus pacientes e que o cirurgião dentista deve estar atualizado quanto aos protocolos e ter bom senso, evitando a banalização do uso de antibiótico, restrigindo o seu uso aos casos de estrita necessidade.

Introduction: Bacterial endocarditis (IBE) is a serious infection of the heart valves or heart endothelial surface. It is caused by bacterial growth on modified cardiac surfaces. In the flora present in the oral cavity, there are microorganisms which are usually causal agents of IBE, as alpha-hemolytic streptococci, enterococci (Streptococcus faecalis), pneumococci, staphylococcus and group A streptococcus. The dental manupulations are the main cause of transient bacterimia, potentially triggering IBE. Objective: The proposed objective of this article was to conduct a literature review, involving original and review articles on the impact caused by dental procedures in triggering the IBE. Method: We used to query the databases: PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs for the years 2005 to 2012 in English and Portuguese. It was found 34 articles, of which seven were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria adopted. Results: In 75% of the articles found, it became clear, evidence of imminent danger that simultaneously a dental intervention that leads to bleeding, to provide the appearence of adverse systemic manifestations such as bacterimia with subsequent installation of IBE. Conclusion: It was concluded that it is of extreme importance the awareness of the dentist that to intervene, even in the practive of a practice of a simple procedure , he or she can foster the emergence of an unfavorable concomitant systemic manisfestation to the overall health of their patients and the dentist must be update regarding the protocols and have common sense, avoiding the trivialization of antibiotic use, restricting its use to cases of strict necessity.

Onyx embolization for the endovascular treatment of infectious and traumatic aneurysms involving the cranial and cerebral vasculature.

BACKGROUND: Onyx is a liquid non-adhesive viscous embolic agent ideal for slow targeted injections which is currently approved for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations. METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who underwent off-label use of Onyx as the single embolic agent for the treatment of traumatic or infectious pseudoaneurysms involving the cerebral or cranial vasculature. RESULTS: A total of nine pseudoaneurysms treated by Onyx embolization were identified. Six of the pseudoaneurysms were post-surgical, one of the pseudoaneurysms was traumatic and two were infectious in nature. The mean pseudoaneurysm size was 5.9 mm (range 2-10 mm). Onyx-34 was used in all cases. Following treatment there was complete exclusion of all pseudoaneurysms including their inflow and outflow zones. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience demonstrates the efficacy and applicability of the use of Onyx in the treatment of complex traumatic and mycotic pseudoaneurysms involving the cerebral and cranial vascular tree.

The management of subacute bacterial endocarditis superimposed on rheumatic heart disease in the immediate pre-penicillin era: the case of Pasquale Imperato.

Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) was invariably a fatal disease in the pre-penicillin era. The availability of sulfonamide antibiotics beginning in the mid-1930s raised hopes that they would be effective in SBE. Unfortunately, except in rare instances, they were not. This paper reviews the clinical experience with sulfonamides in the pre-penicillin period in treating patients with SBE. It presents in detail the case of Pasquale Imperato, who died from the disease at the age of 72 years on 30 November 1942. In so doing, it focuses on the medical management measures then available to treat patients with SBE and on the inevitable course of the illness once it began. Also discussed is the relationship of acute rheumatic fever and its sequela, rheumatic heart disease, to predisposing people to SBE and possible genetic factors. The well-known case of Alfred S. Reinhart, a Harvard Medical School student who died from SBE in 1931 and who kept a detailed chronicle of his disease, is also discussed and contrasted with Pasquale Imperato's case.

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis associated with PR3-ANCA positive subacute bacterial endocarditis.

Patients with bacterial endocarditis often have renal complications. This report presents the case of an elderly man with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) associated with subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) due to Enterococcus faecalis infection. The patient was positive for anti-proteinase 3-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) with hypocomplementemia. Treatment for SBE with antibiotics and the surgical replacement of the affected valves resulted in an improvement of RPGN, the disappearance of PR3-ANCA and RF, and the normalization of hypocomplementemia. This rare case suggests the importance of recognizing the cause of positive PR3-ANCA, because SBE could be an occult cause of RPGN mimicking ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Right-sided acute suppurative thyroiditis caused by infectious endocarditis.

Acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare disorder that is mostly found in the left lobe of the thyroid gland of children due to congenital patency of the pyriform sinus fistula. Here, we report a 61-year-old man with acute right-sided suppurative thyroiditis without pyriform sinus fistula. He also showed infectious hip arthritis, spondylitis and Roth's spots. He presented with heart failure and was diagnosed with infectious endocarditis by sequential transesophageal echocardiography. A replacement with a prosthetic valve was performed and cured him. It is important to recognize that infectious endocarditis can be a focus of acute suppurative thyroiditis.

Infectious endocarditis and chylothorax in a cat.

A 6 yr old domestic longhair cat was evaluated for progressive weight loss, weakness, and dyspnea. Results of a physical examination and electrocardiogram were suggestive of cardiac disease. Thoracic radiographs revealed pleural effusion, which thoracocentesis revealed was consistent with chyle. An echocardiogram was performed, and aortic valve endocarditis with secondary aortic insufficiency was presumptively diagnosed. The cat was treated with broad-spectrum oral antibiotics and palliative cardiac medications. Two days after discharge, the cat's dyspnea returned, and it died suddenly. Histopathology and culture confirmed Pseudomonas bacterial endocarditis of the aortic valve. Bacterial endocarditis in the cat has rarely been reported in the literature. This case described heart failure and chylothorax resulting from bacterial endocarditis.

Streptococcus sanguinis brain abscess as complication of subclinical endocarditis: emphasizing the importance of prompt diagnosis.

A 19-year-old male patient was diagnosed with S. sanguinis brain abscess of unknown etiopathology as a complication of subclinical endocarditis. While viridans streptococci are implicated in dental seeding to the heart, S. sanguinis brain abscesses are rare. Six previous cases of S. sanguinis brain abscess in the literature reported dental procedures and maxillofacial trauma. In our patient, there was no obvious source of infective endocarditis preceding the development of brain abscess. This demonstrates the importance of prompt diagnosis and initiation of antimicrobial therapy given the potential for long-term sequelae such as focal deficits and seizures.