Nouyrigat V, Patteau G, Bajolle F, Anthoine-Milhommes M-C, Chappuy H, Chéron G
Service des urgences pédiatriques, hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, AP-HP, faculté de médecine, université Paris Descartes, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75015 Paris, France.
Arch Pediatr. 2011 Apr;18(4):401-4. doi: 10.1016/j.arcped.2011.01.007.
Neurological signs are reported in less than 20% of infectious endocarditis (IE) cases. The most frequent complications include cerebral infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, meningitis, and mycotic aneurysm. We describe two patients, one with congenital heart disease and the other with normal heart, who presented neurological manifestations and fever leading to an IE diagnosis. Neurological complications may be the first symptom of infectious endocarditis and are a major factor associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and early treatment will minimize cardiac and neurological morbidities.