The bizarre symptom that led to a man's deadly heart infection diagnosis
A man was left with an abnormal lump on his hand that turned out to be a sign of a life-threatening heart infection after a routine visit to the dentist.
The 27-year-old, from Canada, says the lump started as a red patch about four weeks after his dentist appointment, but within another two weeks it turned blue and began to bulge.
He had also been experiencing pain in his abdomen, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The man told doctors that in the weeks since visiting the dentist, he experienced fevers, diminished appetite, night sweats and weight loss.
Doctors found that the man had endocarditis, a heart infection that can be deadly.
Medical experts believe the infection triggered an aneurysm in his hand, which appeared as a big blue bulge.
They believe that this was caused by poor oral hygiene and a recent dental procedure, as endocarditis is often caused when bacteria from the mouth get into the bloodstream - which can happen from bleeding or inflamed gums, or when bacteria is dislodged during routine dental treatment.
Tests also found small areas of dead tissue in his spleen and left kidney.
The man underwent aortic-valve replacement and had surgery performed on his hand to deal with the aneurysm. He was also treated with antibiotics, including a six-week course of ceftriaxone.
