[Verrucous abacterial endocarditis and polymyositis. A possible association?]. / Endocardite verrucosa abatterica e polimiosite. Un'associazione possibile?

We describe a case of a verrucous non-bacterial endocarditis on the native mitral valve in a patient with polymyositis. This case, to our knowledge, represents the first report in the literature we could get. The case reached our attention after an episode of acute limb ischemia which lead to an echocardiographic examination that showed vegetations on the valve. No cardiac signs or symptoms were evident. We discuss the possible relation between the two disorders. The possibility of autoimmune diseases, other than lupus or lupus-related disorders, to produce this kind of lesions should be confirmed by a systematic echocardiographic study of these patients even if they have no evidence of cardiac involvement.