title: [The many faces of endocarditis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the past years we have had a relatively large number of patients in our hospital with endocarditis. There has been a variety of clinical presentations, as illustrated by the following case presentations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have conducted a search in our data-based archives of the period from 1.1.1994 to 31.12.2001 and found 25 patients discharged with a diagnosis of endocarditis. We have chosen five case histories that we discuss in the context of published literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The signs and symptoms presented include a stroke, severe back pain, a swollen knee, pneumonia and cardiac failure. We especially discuss intravenous drug users and endocarditis of the heart's right side.
authors.affiliation: Medisinsk avdeling, Lovisenberg Diakonale Sykehus, 0456 Oslo. sella@mailbox.as
authors.forename: Sella Aarrestad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Provan
authors.forename: Hanne Winge
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kvarenes
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gerlyng
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalmai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001850:Bone Diseases, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents