ABSTRACT
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 mass attached to the intima of the medial wall of the aorta, just distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. The clinical presentation and the transesophageal echocardiography findings led to the diagnosis of vegetative aortitis. Antibiotic therapy was begun, and 5 days later the mass was surgically excised to prevent the possible formation of an infective aortic aneurysm and embolization to the vital organs.
Subject(s)
Aortitis/diagnostic imaging , Aortitis/microbiology , Echocardiography, Transesophageal , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnostic imaging , Staphylococcus aureus , Adult , Aortitis/therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Male , Staphylococcal Infections/therapyABSTRACT
We describe a patient with unusual echocardiographic features of prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis. Transesophageal echocardiography in this patient demonstrated a large multiloculated aortic root abscess extending to mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa, a high acquired ventricular septal defect, paravalvular aortic regurgitation caused by aortic valve dehiscence, and anterior mitral valve leaflet perforation.
Subject(s)
Aortic Valve Insufficiency/diagnostic imaging , Echocardiography, Doppler, Color , Echocardiography, Transesophageal , Endocarditis, Bacterial/complications , Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular/diagnostic imaging , Mitral Valve Insufficiency/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Aortic Valve Insufficiency/complications , Aortic Valve Insufficiency/physiopathology , Blood Flow Velocity , Diagnosis, Differential , Endocarditis, Bacterial/diagnostic imaging , Endocarditis, Bacterial/microbiology , Endocarditis, Bacterial/physiopathology , Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular/etiology , Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Mitral Valve Insufficiency/complications , Mitral Valve Insufficiency/physiopathology , Staphylococcal Infections/complications , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnostic imaging , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcal Infections/physiopathology , Staphylococcus/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
We describe an incidental finding of a rare type of anomalous coronary artery originating from the right coronary sinus of Valsalva and draining into the superior vena cava. This was suspected on transthoracic echocardiography but was further clarified with the use of coronary angiography and transesophageal echocardiography. Echocardiography was a major tool for delineating the origin of the fistula, its complicated course, and the drainage site.
Subject(s)
Arteriovenous Fistula/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Disease/diagnostic imaging , Echocardiography , Vena Cava, Superior/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Coronary Angiography , Echocardiography, Transesophageal , Humans , Male , Vena Cava, Superior/abnormalitiesABSTRACT
Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic inflammatory arteriopathy. It mainly affects the aortic arch and its main branches. The aortic valve annulus and coronary and pulmonary arteries are rarely affected. Mitral and tricuspid annular calcification were not reported previously. We identified mitral annular calcification by using transthoracic echocardiography in 3 patients with Takayasu's arteritis, in whom none had any of the reported causes of mitral annular calcification. Two of them had concomitant tricuspid and aortic annular calcification.
