A Misdiagnosis of Brucellosis Leads to Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis Complicated by Cerebrovascular Accident.

Abstract

Cardiovascular complications of Brucellosis are not common and affecting less than 2% of cases. In clinical practice, endocarditis is the most frequent cardiovascular complication and is responsible for most of the brucellosis-related mortality cases and usually diagnosed lately in the course of the disease with mostly aorta valve involvement. In this case report, we present the case of a 27-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital with fever, sudden onset right side hemiparesis, and horizontal gaze palsy. During the stroke work up, she underwent cardiac evaluation, including echocardiography with susceptibility to septic emboli with cardiac origin, and the result indicates presence of vegetations on prosthetic aortic valve suggestive of infective endocarditis. Hopefully our patient responded well to combination of heart surgery and antibrucellosis regimen and was finally discharged with stable general condition. It is important to raise awareness of this rare but potentially serious complication of brucellosis, especially in the endemic area, and to emphasize the value of early diagnosis and treatment.