[The many faces of endocarditis].
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.
Provan
Sella Aarrestad
SA
Medisinsk avdeling, Lovisenberg Diakonale Sykehus, 0456 Oslo. sella@mailbox.as
Kvarenes
Hanne Winge
HW
Gerlyng
Per
P
Zalmai
Akram
A
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
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents