Margita Belicová, Ján Dvorský, Marian Mokáň
In our work we are describing a case of 69 year old patient, who in the past overcame infective endocarditis caused by streptococci, which at that time had been diagnosed 10 months after beginning of the disease. Late diagnosis led to destruction of aortic and tricuspid valves, which were the cause of congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure was an indication for cardiac surgical treatment - replacement of aortic and tricuspid valve by mechanic prosthesis. Infective endocarditis caused by streptococci relapsed after 10 years. During this relapse at the beginning of the disease, nobody had any idea about this diagnosis; even later infective endocarditis was excluded on the basis of negative blood cultures, which were taken after administration of antibiotic treatment and after transthoracic echocardiography. Diagnosis of endocarditis on mitral valve was detected after 4 months since the beginning of symptoms in this high risk patient. Immediately the adequate treatment led to cure of infective endocarditis, without haemodynamically significant valve destruction.