[Meningitis and other neurological complications in infectious endocarditis]

To study the localization, etiological agents and the respective prognosis in patients with infective endocarditis with or without neurological complications, with emphasis on the association of endocarditis and meningitis.

222 patients with clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory diagnosis of infective endocarditis were treated at Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia from 1985 to 1990. They were classified in two groups: group A-116 patients without neurological complications, ages 4 months-76 (mean 30) years old and 66.3% males. group B-56 patients with neurological complication, ages 1-71 (mean 31) years old and 46.4% males. A third group, group C, comprised 17 patients, ages 8-51 (mean 23.7) years old and 9 patients (52.9%) male, assisted at Hospital Emilio Ribas, which is specialized at infectious diseases, which presented meningitis as the unique manifestation of neurological complication associated to the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE). In all patients the diagnosis of IE was based on the presence of at least two of three essential findings: echocardiogram with vegetations or valvar dysfunctions, positive hemocultures and the compatible clinical picture. For the comparative analysis among the groups was employed through the chi-square test corrected according to Yates.

No differences of sex and age of the patients were found among the three groups. Predominated the Staphylococcus aureus as etiological agent. The localization of cardiac lesions was similar in the three groups, except for the tricuspid valve affected in 16.3% of patients of group A and 2.3% of group B. There was a greater association of the structures on the left side of the heart with IE of group B (p < 0.05). Group B and C showed a general mortality rate greater than group A (p < 0.001).

Meningitis and other neurological complications showed interrelationship between the presence of "Staphylococcus aureus" as etiological agent of endocarditis and the association with infection of the left heart side.