Aortite infectieuse à Streptococcus pneumoniae

Infectious aortitis is a rare clinical entity that most often manifests itself by an aortic aneurysm. The syphilitic or tubercular forms can be subacute. When it is caused by Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus sp. or Streptococcus pneumoniae, the aortitis is acute with alarming symptoms. Germs found in most cases are Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. S. pneumoniae rarely causes infectious aortitis. We report the case of a 75-year-old patient seen in an emergency setting for sudden-onset abdominal pain with fever. An abdominal angio-computed tomography (CT) scan showed a sacciform infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm, with an inflammatory aspect and periaortic hematoma. Surgical cure was undertaken because of the impending rupture. An interposition aortic replacement graft was implanted. Blood cultures and bacteriological study of the aortic wall isolated a S. pneumoniae. The anatomical pathology study reported fibrin clot leukocyte remodeling of the aortic wall. An intravenous antibiotic regimen was started. Several organisms, including Streptococcus, can cause infectious aortitis. We found 36 cases described in the literature in addition to our patient.