Subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient with Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis.

Endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia accounts for 5% of all cases of infective endocarditis (Roberts et al, Rev Infect Dis. 1979;1:955-66) and 5% to 6% of all cases of streptococcal endocarditis (Bouvet, Eur Heart J. 1995;16(suppl B):24-7; Brouqui et al, Clin Microbiol Rev. 2001;14:177-207). This endocarditis is associated with a high rate of embolization and treatment failure (Bouvet, Eur Heart J. 1995;16(suppl B):24-7). Neurological complications occur in 20% to 40% of all cases of infective endocarditis (Ossorio et al, Hosp Physician. 2003;39:21-4). Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a rare but devastating neurological complication. The authors presented a case of massive fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient with Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis. To our knowledge, there are only 2 reported cases of mycotic aneurysms in Abiotrophia endocarditis, 1 of which was associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (Leonard et al, N Engl J Med. 2001;344:233-4; Yang et al, Am J Med Sci. 2010;339:190-1).