[Austrian's syndrome (endocarditis, meningitis and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae). Apropos of a rare case].

We report a case of a mitral endocarditis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in a 48 year old man diagnosed with moderate mitral stenosis and liver cirrhosis. The clinical features were fever with penicillin-sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia, meningitis and pneumonia. Only transesophageal echocardiography could confirm the presence of vegetations. In spite of vancomycin therapy, the patient required mitral valve replacement, with good results. Some clinical aspects of this uncommon cause of infective endocarditis are discussed.