Table of Contents
Washington University Experience | VASCULAR | Infarct - Embolic | 15A0 Case 15 History
Case 15 History ---- The patient was a 50-year-old woman with history of breast cancer and recently diagnosed bacterial endocarditis, with severe aortic insufficiency, aortic root abscess and secondary multiple septic emboli to her brain, kidneys, spleen and lungs. She had been previously hospitalized and upon thorough assessment of her endocarditis, it was deemed that she was not a good candidate for surgical treatment. She was discharged and re-admitted the following day with a new onset of shortness of breath and volume overload. She was found to have acute renal failure and severe acidosis. It was decided that the patient was not a good candidate for hemodialysis or for any other type of invasive treatment. Given the poor prognosis, the family decided to make the patient comfortable and the patient expired. ---- Autopsy demonstrated multiple cerebral and cerebellar cortical abscesses consistent with an origin as septic emboli from bacterial endocarditis. Most occupied the vascular territory of the middle cerebral arteries and were located at the gray-white junction.
