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Prof. Veil saw 1928 a 1900 born lady.
She suffered from scarlet fever in 1906, followed by nephritis and
carditis for 9 month.
1928 recurrent sore throat, high-grade fever.
1929 recurrent sore throat and low-grade fever.
1934 high fever: "Grippe". 3 months later: Sharp pain in the left
upper abdomen.
Diagnosis: Infarction of the spleen.
Blood culture: Streptococci.
Clinical picture: Recurrent thrombo-embolism.
6 month later: Death (1)
The truth of Veil's diagnostic work up in one patient is mirrored in
the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database (GPRD) 2004:
Respiratory tract infections increase the risk of myocardial
infarction or stroke! (2)
We have to relearn the old pictures!
And new science might help us: Mice lacking SIGN-R1 (a specific
receptor) are significantly more susceptible to Streptococcus pneumoniae
infection and fail to clear S. pneumoniae from the circulation. (3)
(The same situation as in splenectomy).
Sincerely Yours
Friedrich Flachsbart
1. W. H. Veil: Der Rheumatismus und die streptomykotische Symbiose.
(Case 113, page 333-335)
Ferdinand Enke, Stuttgart, 1939
2. L. Smeeth et al.: Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke after
Acute Infection or Vaccination.
N Engl J Med 2004;351:2611-8
3. A. Lanoue et al.: SIGN-R1 Contributes to Protection against Lethal
Pneumococcal Infection in Mice.
J Exp Med 2004;200:1383-93
Professor Veil's diagnosis of Dürer: "Recurrent Rheumatic Endocarditis and Infarction of the Spleen".
Dear Sir,
Prof. Veil saw 1928 a 1900 born lady.
She suffered from scarlet fever in 1906, followed by nephritis and
carditis for 9 month.
1928 recurrent sore throat, high-grade fever.
1929 recurrent sore throat and low-grade fever.
1934 high fever: "Grippe". 3 months later: Sharp pain in the left
upper abdomen.
Diagnosis: Infarction of the spleen.
Blood culture: Streptococci.
Clinical picture: Recurrent thrombo-embolism.
6 month later: Death (1)
The truth of Veil's diagnostic work up in one patient is mirrored in
the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database (GPRD) 2004:
Respiratory tract infections increase the risk of myocardial
infarction or stroke! (2)
We have to relearn the old pictures!
And new science might help us: Mice lacking SIGN-R1 (a specific
receptor) are significantly more susceptible to Streptococcus pneumoniae
infection and fail to clear S. pneumoniae from the circulation. (3)
(The same situation as in splenectomy).
Sincerely Yours
Friedrich Flachsbart
1. W. H. Veil: Der Rheumatismus und die streptomykotische Symbiose.
(Case 113, page 333-335)
Ferdinand Enke, Stuttgart, 1939
2. L. Smeeth et al.: Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke after
Acute Infection or Vaccination.
N Engl J Med 2004;351:2611-8
3. A. Lanoue et al.: SIGN-R1 Contributes to Protection against Lethal
Pneumococcal Infection in Mice.
J Exp Med 2004;200:1383-93
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests