title: Left-sided endocarditis in intravenous drug users: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: We report a case of staphylococcus endocarditis of the mitral and aortic valves in an intravenous drug user (IVDU) complicated by abscess of the aortic root and aorto-left atrial fistula. Interestingly, the tricuspid valve was free of vegetation. Infective endocarditis in IVDUs more commonly involves right-sided valves; left-sided endocarditis is rare, indicates severe disease, or is a postmortem finding. This case illustrates the need for considering left-sided valve endocarditis in IVDU with septicemia, even if the tricuspid valve shows no evidence of vegetation.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications*; D001021:Aortic Valve; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005402:Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous