Cerebral and Myocardial Infarction Induced by Nonbacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis in a Patient with Ovarian Cancer: Report of a Case

Abstract

A 40-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of left hemiplegia. She was affected with myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. Echocardiogram revealed that the aortic and mitral valves had thick and uneven echoes suggesting vegetations. Judging from the finding that repeated blood cultures were negative, we had considered in her lifetime that myocardial and cerebral infarctions were due to embolization associated with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE). At autopsy, histological diagnosis was made as ovarian cancer with disseminated intravascular coagulation. From the clinical course and the histological findings, we diagnosed this patient as NBTE. © 1988, The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. All rights reserved.