Endovascular management of a mycotic group A streptococcal abdominal aortic dissection

Abstract

Pyrexia of unknown origin can represent a great diagnostic difficulty to clinicians. We present a case of pyrexia with abdominal and back pain, in which blood cultures performed demonstrated group A haemolytic streptococcus. Having recently been abroad, the patient was investigated to find a source. CT scans performed subsequently demonstrated an inflammatory infrarenal abdominal aortic dissection. The patient was treated with intravenous antibiotics and underwent endovascular repair. This case details the unusual presentation of spontaneous abdominal aortic dissection and its management by endovascular means. Emphasis is placed on the often clandestine manner of presentation of this condition and the importance of awareness in the investigating clinician. This case presents a patient infected with group A haemolytic streptococcus, leading to aortitis and spontaneous dissection, previously unreported in the literature.