Neurologic Complaints in a Patient with Infective Endocarditis

• Published in: The Journal of emergency medicine Vol. 43; no. 6; pp. e429 - e433
• Main Authors: Martindale, Jennifer L., MD, Hayden, Emily M., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-12-2012
• Subjects: Adult; Emergency; endocarditis; Endocarditis, Bacterial - complications; Endocarditis, Bacterial - diagnosis; Endocarditis, Bacterial - microbiology; Female; Humans; Intracranial Aneurysm - complications; Intracranial Aneurysm - diagnosis; Intracranial Aneurysm - microbiology; intracranial hemorrhage; mycotic aneurysm; Streptococcal Infections - diagnosis; Streptococcus sanguinis; Streptococcus sanguis; Substance-Related Disorders - complications; intracranial hemorrhage; mycotic aneurysm; endocarditis
• ISSN: 0736-4679; 2352-5029
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2011.05.026

Abstract Background Infectious intracranial aneurysms constitute a small subgroup of all intracranial aneurysms, but are an important cause of neurologic complaints in patients with infective endocarditis. Objective: To describe a potentially fatal cause of neurologic complaints in patients with endocarditis. Case Report: We report a case of a 33-year-old woman with Streptococcus sanguinis endocarditis and several neurologic complaints including right arm numbness, confusion, and occasional word-finding difficulty that were found to be secondary to infectious intracranial aneurysm. Conclusion Early consideration of intracranial infectious aneurysm in patients with infective endocarditis and neurologic symptoms is critical. Therapeutic intervention is often effective, and risk of aneurysm rupture is high.