Propensity of Streptococcus pneumoniae for the aorta. Report of 3 cases.

Streptococcus pneumoniae was the unsuspected cause of a ruptured aortic aneurysm in 3 patients, as confirmed by culture of specimens obtained during surgery. A 60-y-old woman had a recently diagnosed saccular aortic aneurysm and presented with symptoms indicating a vascular catastrophe. A 66-y-old man and a 69-y-old woman were both admitted with pyrexia and abdominal pain and proper diagnosis was delayed for 4 and 15 d, respectively. All 3 patients were treated with graft insertion and antibiotic therapy for 3 months and recovered fully.