An unusual case of vegetative aortitis diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography

We report a case of Staphylococcus aureus aortitis in a 42-year-old man who had a fever, an embolus to the left upper arm, and positive blood cultures . Transesophageal echocardiography re-vealed a 3 x 1-centimeter polypoid ma ss attached to the intima of the medial wall of the aorta, just distal to t he origin of the left subclavian artery. The clinical presentation and the transesophageal echocardiography findings led to the diagnosis of vegetativ e aortitis. Antibiotic therapy was begun, and 5 days later the mass was sur gically excised to prevent the possible formation of an infective aortic an eurysm and embolization to the vital organs.