Gonococcal endocarditis

Gonococcal infection is a rare cause of endocarditis but one to be borne in mind. An illustrative case has been described from Cardiff, UK.

A 28 year old man developed symptoms several days after having unprotected sexual intercourse with a partner who had been treated for genitourinary symptoms. The patient’s symptoms included sore throat, lethargy, malaise, joint pains, sweating, and mainly nocturnal fevers. He was given a course of amoxycillin 500 mg three times a day but his symptoms persisted and when next seen by his general practitioner he had developed a new, moderately loud, pansystolic murmur at the apex and radiating to the axilla. On …