title: Mycotic aneurysm of the brachial artery secondary to hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in a complicated case of infective endocarditis.
abstract: We present a case of brachial artery mycotic aneurysm caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in a patient with infective endocarditis. A 66-year-old woman suffered two transient ischemic attacks over an 8-week period secondary to septic emboli from mitral valve endocarditis. Following valve replacement surgery, the patient was troubled by persisting paresthesia in the right hand. A mycotic aneurysm of the brachial artery was diagnosed, and surgical repair was successfully undertaken. The purpose of this case report is to highlight an unusual causative organism for mycotic aneurysm and to underline the increasing threat of multi-drug-resistant bacteria as a cause of vascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, Middlesex, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: How
authors.forename: Markus B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sikkel
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shalhoub
authors.forename: Nicholas W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Law
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000209:etiology; D000785:Aneurysm, Infected / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D011859:Radiography; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures