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Query: UMLS:C0014118 (endocarditis)
 15,629 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

(1) Neurologic complications remain a significant problem in bacterial endocarditis. Of 218 patients with endocarditis, 84 (39%) had a neurologic complication and 58% of these 84 patients died. In contrast, the mortality rate was only 20% among those endocarditis patients without neurologic complications. (2) Of the neurologic complications, cerebral embolism is the most frequent and important. An embolic stroke occurred in 37 (17%) of our patients, with 30 of these patients dying. Emboli are important not only in terms of the direct morbidity and mortality they cause via cerebral infarction, but also because of their role in the causation of mycotic aneurysms, brain abscesses, and abnormal CSF formulae. (3) Cerebral emboli are particularly common in patients with mitral valve infection, and in patients with infection due to virulent organisms, particularly S. aureus and enteric gram-negative bacilli. (4) Mycotic aneurysms occur more frequently in the course of acute endocarditis rather than late in the course of subacute disease. Management of angiographically demonstrated mycotic aneurysms is dependent upon the presence or absence of hemorrhage, the anatomic location of the aneurysm, and the clinical course of the patient. Healing of mycotic aneurysms can occur during the course of effective antimicrobial therapy, thus obviating the need for neurosurgical intervention in all such patients. (5) Macroscopic brain abscess is a rare complication of bacterial endocarditis. Miliary microscopic abscesses are more common than larger abscesses, particularly in patients with acute disease and miliary infection in other organs of the body. (6) Focal seizures occur most commonly in endocarditis patients with acute embolic disease; generalized seizures are of diverse etiologies, with metabolic factors being most important. Penicillin neurotoxicity should be considered in patients with impaired renal function who are receiving high dose penicillin. (7) With the exception of hemorrhagic complications, lumbar puncture results tend to reflect the nature of the infecting organism rather than the nature of the neurologic complication. Endocarditis due to virulent organisms such as S. aureus is usually associated with a purulent CSF formula while nonvirulent organisms, such as viridans streptococci, susually have aseptic or normal CSF formulae.
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PMID:Neurologic complications of bacterial endocarditis. 58 Jul 94

Neurologic complications continue to occur in approximately 30 per cent of all patients with infective endocarditis and represent a major factor associated with an increased mortality rate in that disease. Of these complications, cerebral embolism is the most common and the most important, occurring in as many as 30 per cent of all patients, most of whom ultimately die. Emboli that are infected also account for all the other complications (mycotic aneurysm, meningitis or meningoencephalitis, brain abscess) that may develop. Emboli are more common in patients with mitral valve infection and in those infected with more virulent organisms. Mycotic aneurysms (often preceded by an embolic event) occur more frequently and earlier in the course of acute endocarditis, rather than later, which is more common in the course of subacute disease. The management of a cerebral mycotic aneurysm depends on the presence or absence of hemorrhage, its anatomic location and the clinical course. Healing can occur during the course of effective antimicrobial therapy and thus will preclude the need for automatic surgery in all angiographically demonstrated aneurysms. The indication for surgical intervention must be evaluated on an individual basis. Meningitis is usually purulent when associated with virulent organisms, but the CSF may present an aseptic formula when associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage or multiple microscopic embolic lesions, infected or otherwise. Macroscopic brain abscesses are rare, but multiple microscopic abscesses are not uncommon in patients with acute endocarditis due to virulent organisms. Seizures are not uncommon in patients with infective endocarditis. Focal seizures are more commonly associated with acute emboli, whereas generalized seizures are more commonly associated with systemic metabolic factors. Penicillin neurotoxicity should be considered in seizure patients with compromised renal function who are receiving high doses of penicillin. The CSF tends to reflect the nature of the infecting organism rather than the nature of the neurologic complication, except when hemorrhage is present. Endocarditis due to virulent organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus, is usually associated with a purulent CSF formula, whereas non-virulent organisms, such as "viridans" streptococci, usually have aseptic or normal CSF formulas.
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PMID:Neurologic complications of infective endocarditis. 383 85