An alien in the heart

Abstract

We report a case of a 38-year-old-man who presented with altered mental status. The patient was diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) originating from the GORE HELEX septal occluder device, which was placed 15 months earlier for symptomatic atrial septal defect. Brain imaging revealed shower emboli phenomena from the known IE. The patient developed hydrocephalus for which external ventriculostomy was performed. Improved neurological status warranted open heart surgery. The patient was later confirmed to be an intravenous drugs abuser, prejudicing IE. This case highlights the importance of meticulously monitoring patients with suspected high-risk behavior with an implanted intracardiac prosthetic device.

Keywords

• Atrial septal defect
• GORE HELEX septal occluder device
• Infective endocarditis
• Interatrial septum
• Ventriculostomy