Staphylococcal Endocarditis Presenting with a Renal Infarct in a Patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract

We present here a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and who developed infective endocarditis during induction chemotherapy with prednisolone, L-asparaginase (LeunaseⓇ), vincristine and adriamycin. The patient did not have a history of a central venous catheter. Sharp flank pain and fever occurred on the 25th day of induction chemotherapy. In addition, a renal infarct and movable vegetations on the mitral valve were detected on the abdominal computed tomography (CT) and echocardiography. S. aureus was identified in the cultured blood. While the patient achieved remission, follow-up echocardiography revealed the vegetation had in creased in size and an abscess pocket had developed despite the antibiotics and heparin therapy. Consequently, ten days after the diagnosis of infective endocarditis, a successful mitral valvuloplasty was performed without complications. The patient is currently on maintenance chemotherapy while in remission.