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Reminder of important clinical lesson
CASE REPORT
A chronic alcoholic man with high fever, neck rigidity and loss of consciousness: remember the Austrian syndrome a commonly unrecognised invasive pneumococcus triad
  1. Sarah P Georgiadou,
  2. Efstratios Manoulakas,
  3. Konstantinos P Makaritsis,
  4. George N Dalekos
  1. Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Thessaly, Greece
  1. Correspondence to Professor George N Dalekos, dalekos{at}med.uth.gr

Summary

Austrian syndrome is a rare medical condition characterised by the triad of pneumonia, meningitis and endocarditis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Native aortic valve insufficiency is the most common cause of cardiac failure in these patients, requiring valve replacement. We report a 52-year-old chronic alcoholic man who presented with fever, neck rigidity and loss of consciousness. Lumbar puncture revealed central nervous system infection while chest X-ray showed pneumonia. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures revealed S. pneumonia. Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed aortic endocarditis with severe valve insufficiency. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement and was finally discharged after completion of 6 weeks intravenous antibiotic treatment. Nowadays, Austrian syndrome is seen infrequently in the antibiotic era. However, clinicians should be aware of this syndrome as its early recognition and prompt combined medical and surgical treatment could reduce morbidity and mortality due to this potentially catastrophic clinical entity.

  • infectious diseases
  • meningitis
  • pneumonia (infectious disease)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-225010

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors GND and SPG had the original idea, designed the study and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. GND and KPM were the principal treating physicians of the patient; made the final critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. SPG and EM collected and summarised the published literature and data of the patient. All authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.