Blocking a rash diagnosis: a rare case of infective endocarditis

Brittne Halford; Mariah Barstow Piazza; Haley Berka; Caitlin Taylor

doi:10.1136/bcr-2018-226213

Blocking a rash diagnosis: a rare case of infective endocarditis

BMJ Case Rep. 2019 Mar 20;12(3):e226213. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2018-226213.

Authors

Brittne Halford¹, Mariah Barstow Piazza², Haley Berka², Caitlin Taylor²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Abstract

We report a case of a previously healthy, afebrile patient who presented with subacute bilateral lower extremity rash and complete heart block, which was later found to be secondary to infective endocarditis. His transoesophageal echocardiogram detected multiple vegetations and blood cultures were positive for Granulicatella adiacens, a nutritionally variant streptococcus that is a normal component of oral flora and thought to be responsible for approximately 5% of all cases of streptococcal endocarditis. Due to concerns for renal failure, the patient was treated with an unconventional regimen of ampicillin and ceftriaxone. He underwent a valve replacement and pacemaker placement and has done well since hospital discharge.

Keywords: arrhythmias; cardiovascular system; drugs: infectious diseases.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged, 80 and over
Echocardiography
Electrocardiography
Endocarditis, Bacterial / complications*
Endocarditis, Bacterial / diagnosis*
Endocarditis, Bacterial / microbiology
Exanthema / etiology*
Humans
Lower Extremity
Male