Successful Repair of Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis in a Drug Abuser / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

This case report describes a 20-year-old man, who was a drug abuser, and was treated surgically for tricuspid valve endocarditis. He presented with fever, caused by tricuspid valve endocarditis with a lung abscess. Blood culture detected <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i>and cardiac ultrasonography showed tricuspid insufficiency and tricuspid valve vegetation. He was treated with intravenous antibacterial agents, but the inflammation signs did not improve. He had a large number of puncture scars, as a consequence of self-injection of drugs in his lower arm. He underwent tricuspid valve plasty, and recovered successfully. He was discharged 2 weeks after surgery, and we instructed him to return for follow-up examination in our hospital. However, he did not return to our hospital because he was arrested for drug possession. In such cases, it is necessary to consider the operative method relative to reuse of drugs in the postoperative management of medication.