Cor Vasa 2018, 60(3):e314-e316 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2017.02.004

Listerial myocarditis as a complication of Listerial meningoencephalitis

Matěj Strnadel^a,*, Tomáš Hnátek^a, Roman Havlíček^b, Eva Krčová^a, Martin Malý^a, Miroslav Zavoral^a

^a Kardiologické oddělení, Interní klinika, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Ústřední vojenská nemocnice - Fakultní vojenská nemocnice v Praze, Praha, Česká republika

^b Neurologické oddělení, Ústřední vojenská nemocnice - Fakultní vojenská nemocnice v Praze, Praha, Česká republika

Here, we present a case report of a 53-year-old patient who was admitted for an acute ischaemic stroke. During the hospitalization period, the patient developed meningoencephalitis and acute myocarditis with recurrent episodes of ventricular fibrillation that required defibrillation repeatedly. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from blood culture samples. The patient was treated with antibiotic therapy and showed a good clinical response. The diagnosis of myocarditis was based on the clinical and ECG presentation (ventricular arrhythmia) and elevation of troponin T level, echocardiography and MRI showed myocardial hypertrophy and pericardial effusion. In the context of this case, it is important to note that the patient suffered from scleroderma and was ambulatory treated with long-term corticosteroid therapy (Medrol 32 mg per day).

Keywords: Echocardiography; Ischaemic stroke; Listeria monocytogenes; Meningoencephalitis; MRI; Myocarditis; Ventricular fibrillation

Received: December 10, 2016; Revised: February 14, 2017; Accepted: February 16, 2017; Published: June 1, 2018  Show citation