UNASSIGNED: We present a case of a previously healthy 26-year-old woman who presented with a 2-month history of fevers. Blood cultures on admission were positive for S. gordonii. Echocardiography demonstrated a congenital bicuspid aortic valve with vegetations and abscess, supporting a diagnosis of infective endocarditis. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain revealed a small cerebral empyema. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics and underwent an aortic valve replacement.
UNASSIGNED: Bicuspid aortic valve predisposes to infective endocarditis, and these patients have higher incidence of requiring cardiac surgery. Streptococcus gordonii belongs to the viridans group streptococci that are recognized as causative organisms for infective endocarditis particularly where dental sources are suspected. Patients with infective endocarditis may develop neurological sequelae including cerebrovascular accidents or central nervous system infections. If risk of haemorrhagic transformation is low, surgical intervention for valve replacement should not be delayed.