Central retinal artery occlusion and infective endocarditis: rigor does matter.

CLINICAL CASE: A patient with acute amaurosis due central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), who had mitral regurgitation and Streptococcus viridans positive blood cultures. Using transesophageal ultrasound, the patient was diagnosed with native valve infective endocarditis without fever, and with loss of vision as the only symptom.

DISCUSSION: CRAO due to infective endocarditis is rare and there are few cases reported in the literature. Semiology and a systematic and comprehensive study of patients with this ophthalmological pathology helps uncover serious underlying medical conditions. Infective endocarditis has many different forms of presentation and a high clinical suspicion is often required to reach a diagnosis.