PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ferguson, I. C.
AU  - Craik, J. E.
AU  - Grist, N. R.
TI  - Clinical, virological, and pathological findings in a fatal case of Q fever endocarditis
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.15.3.235
DP  - 1962 May 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 235--241
VI  - 15
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/15/3/235.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/15/3/235.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1962 May 01; 15
AB  - A case resembling subacute bacterial endocarditis in which blood cultures were repeatedly negative is described. The patient had had an influenza-like illness nine months before admission to hospital followed by intervening vague illness and loss of weight. Serological tests revealed a high titre of complement-fixing antibodies to phase 1 and phase 2 antigens of Rickettsia burneti. After death R. burneti was isolated from the diseased aortic valve, liver, and kidneys. Bodies morphologically resembling rickettsiae were seen in the aortic valve and in a very few renal tubule cells. No specific pathological lesions were found but there was a widespread stimulation of reticulo-endothelial cells particularly in the aortic valve cusps, spleen, lymph nodes, and renal glomeruli. It is suggested that tests for Q fever should be carried out in suspected cases of subacute bacterial endocarditis when blood culture is negative.