We report the case of a 48-year-old previously unevaluated woman who presented with a short febrile illness with multi-organ involvement and was later diagnosed with acute methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis of the posterior mitral valve. Her illness was complicated by septic embolization, leading to cerebral abscesses and infection-related glomerulonephritis, causing acute kidney injury. She had multiple septic teeth, which were thought to be the source of bacteremia. She was managed with multidisciplinary input involving cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, microbiology, and oral maxillofacial surgery. Six weeks of intravenous antibiotics and removal of dental foci resulted in complete clinical and biochemical recovery. Follow-up transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated resolution of the vegetation, and interval imaging showed a reduction in the size of the brain abscess. This case highlights the importance of early recognition of infective endocarditis and the need for multidisciplinary care in the presence of systemic complications.
Mithuriha et al. (Sun,) studied this question.