1.
Echocardiography
; 20(5): 429-34, 2003 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12848862
ABSTRACT
Infective endocarditis causes a myriad number of serious complications. Mitral valve obstruction is a rare complication. We report a 48-year-old Asian female who presented with two-week duration of fever and rapidly developed acute pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock. Sequential transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a rapidly growing vegetation on the anterior mitral leaflet with severe stenosis of the valve. All the blood cultures were negative. The patient underwent a successful mitral valve replacement. A review of 21 previously reported cases of mitral valve obstruction from endocarditis demonstrates the poor prognosis of this entity and supports early surgery.