Abdominal pain of cardiovascular origin

Infective endocarditis is a microbial infection of the endocardium and it is rare in the pediatric population. In children, congenital heart disease is one of the most important risk factors for developing infective endocarditis and can involve other structures in addition to cardiac valves. The prognosis is generally better than in other forms of endocarditis, although the average mortality rate in the pediatric population is 15-25%. Clinical manifestations can mimic other diseases such as meningitis and collagen-vascular disease or vasculitis. Therefore, a high degree of suspicion is required to make an early diagnosis. Gram-positive bacteria, specifically alpha-hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, are the most commonly involved bacteria. Diagnosis is based on the modified Duke criteria, which rely mostly on clinical assessment, echocardiography and blood cultures. Antibacterial treatment should ideally be targeted. However, if no specific bacteria have been identified, patients should promptly be treated empirically with multiple drug regimens based on local resistance and the most common etiologies. The authors describe a case of a seven-year-old girl with classic clinical signs of endocarditis, with a clinical twist.