[Pneumococcal infectious endocarditis in an infant (case report)]

In a 10-month-old infant with purulent pneumococcal meningitis without structural heart disease acute infectious endocarditis developed. Echocardiographic examination revealed vegetations on both cusps of the mitral valve. With regard to the age and critical condition of the infant, in the acute stage surgical removal of the vegetations, was not indicated. During long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy the vegetations on the mitral valve and clinical and laboratory manifestations of endocarditis disappeared. The valve was, however, devastated and the child developed severe mitral insufficiency. Because of progressive cardiac failure which could not be controlled by drugs, at the age of 19 months a plastic operation of the mitral valve had to be performed after which the haemodynamics and clinical condition improved markedly.