title: Infective endocarditis presenting as polyarthritis.
abstract: We report the case of a patient who complained of arthralgias and arthritis 1 month before the onset of fever or other signs of infective endocarditis. In 2 months she developed an additive, asymmetrical polyarthritis with fever (febrile polyarthritis). Splenomegaly was present. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed no vegetations or other findings suggesting endocardial involvement. Initially, four blood cultures showed no microorganisms, then six of nine subsequent blood cultures grew highly gentamicin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine-Rheumatology, Second University of Naples, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rambaldi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ambrosone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Migliaresi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rambaldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins