Cerebral infarction caused by endocarditis in a patient with COVID-19

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide health threat due to its highly contagious nature and severe complications. The authors experienced a case of cerebral infarction caused by endocarditis in a patient infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Case Report: A 65-year-old male patient with COVID-19 was admitted to our hospital for cohort isolation. On day 11 after admission, the patient suddenly presented right-sided hemiparesis. Computed tomography of the brain showed multiple hypodense lesions, which confirmed acute cerebral infarction. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a vegetation of about 5 mm on the mitral valve and endocarditis was diagnosed as the cause of cerebral infarction.

Conclusion: Cerebral infarction is one of the complications of COVID-19 and can occur at any time during the course of the disease. Hence, a neurologist has an important role in the medical team involved in COVID-19 treatment.