title: Culture of the aspirated coronary thromboembulus specimen: a peculiar diagnostic method for infective endocarditis.
abstract: A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for persistent fever, myalgias, articular pain, headache, and hypoaesthesia of the scalp. The clinical scenario was typical for giant-cell arteritis. During hospital stay, patient developed fugax amaurosis, stroke, and acute coronary syndrome. The definitive diagnosis of infective endocarditis, supported by transesophageal echocardiography, was confirmed only by culturing the material obtained during angiography and coronary thromboaspiration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, San Raffaele University Hospital, Via Olgettina 58, 20100 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slavich
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fisicaro
authors.forename: Eustachio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agricola
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballarotto
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margonato