RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Neuropsychiatric manifestations of infective endocarditis: a study of 95 patients at Ibadan, Nigeria.
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 325
OP 329
DO 10.1136/jnnp.39.4.325
VO 39
IS 4
A1 O Bademosi
A1 A O Falase
A1 F Jaiyesimi
A1 A Bademosi
YR 1976
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/39/4/325.abstract
AB Thirty-eight percent of patients with infective endocarditis (36 of 95) had neuropsychiatric manifestations. In 75% (27 of 36), these features were the major presenting picture. Fifteen patients (42%) presented with cerebrovascular lesions and seven (19%) with meningitis. Toxic encephalopathy (12.5%) was not uncommon. Other neurological syndromes seen included psychosis and spinal cord lesions. The mortality was high especially when the infective endocarditis was acute in onset. It is essential to search diligently for an underlying cardiac cause in patients who present with neuropsychiatric symptoms because treatment of the underlying pathology improves prognosis.