1 Major clinical features of IE include fever, systemic emboli, congestive heart failure, and renal insufficiency; however, classic peripheral manifestations of endocarditis-splinter hemorrhages, Osler nodes, Roth spots, and Janeway lesions-are observed less often. Rarely is cardiac ischemia or myocardial infarction caused by coronary emboli or obstruction of the coronary ostia by large vegetations. Coronary artery compression by abscess formation, although even less frequent, is important to consider in patients who present with atypical features of an acute coronary syndrome. We discuss the case of an elderly patient in whom these features occurred, and we briefly review the relevant medical literature.
Case ReportA 73-year-old woman with a history of aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, and a chronic gastrocutaneous fistula and sacral decubitus ulcer presented with sudden-onset back pain and shortness of breath. In the emergency department, she had a temperature of 102.2 °F, a heart rate of 123 beats/min, and a blood pressure of 119/50 mmHg. Physical examination revealed a normal S 1 and S 2 and a harsh grade 2/6 systolic ejection murmur that radiated to the carotid arteries. Also noted were a fistula in the left upper quadrant that drained serous fluid, and a healing sacral ulcer with minimal skin breakdown and no signs of gangrene. Laboratory results included a troponin level of 0.746 µg/L, a creatinine kinase level of 140 U/L, and a creatinine kinase-MB fraction of 11.9 ng/mL. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation in leads V 1 , V 2 , and III, with ischemic-appearing ST-segment depression in leads I and aVL (Fig. 1). Urgent coronary angiograms revealed a mildly dilated ascending aorta and a long, tubular area of the right coronary artery with narrowing that extended almost to the crux ( Fig. 2A). A possible flap suggested right coronary artery dissection, and the presumed diagnosis was coronary dissection. Computed tomographic angiograms of the ascending and descending aorta showed no dissection but revealed an irregular collection of contrast medium along the anterior right side of the aortic annulus (Fig. 2B).The patient's history of chronic infection and elevated white blood cell count on presentation (21 ×10 9 /L) raised concerns of IE, so further imaging of the heart was performed. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) revealed a thickened, calcified, severely stenotic aortic valve with apparent vegetations. A 2-dimensional transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) revealed vegetations on the aortic valve Case Reports