The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Case Report

Fever of Unknown Origin: A Case of Cardiac Myxoma Infected with Staphylococcus lugdunensis

Authors: Nitin Bhanot, MD, MPH, Andrew G. Sahud, MD, Sunil Bhat, MD, Stacy Lane, DO, Harish Manyam, MD, Noreen H. Chan-Tompkins, PharmD

Abstract

Infected cardiac myxoma is a rare entity. It poses a diagnostic challenge as clinical presentation may reflect an underlying infectious, immune, or a neoplastic disease process. To the best of our knowledge, the first case of a cardiac myxoma infected withStaphylococcus lugdunensis is reported in a 54-year-old man with fever of unknown origin for 4 months. Successful excision of the tumor was performed and was followed by an uneventful recovery. Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of infected cardiac myxomas are discussed.


Key Points


* Diagnosis of a cardiac myxoma should be sought in a patient presenting with fever of unknown origin.


* Fever should not be solely attributed to myxoma, and clinical suspicion for an infected myxoma should be entertained, particularly in the event of concomitant blood stream infection.

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