Lactococcus garvieae is a fish pathogen and an uncommon cause of human infections. There is a growing body of evidence showing its potential for causing endocarditis especially in those with prior valve surgery. In this case report, we present what we believe is the first case of endocarditis by L. garvieae affecting a valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement that was successfully treated. Specific guidelines for the management of these patients are lacking. Our experience can contribute to the current knowledge regarding this life-threatening infection as well as to the future care of these patients. We aim to emphasize that despite not being recognized as a typical endocarditis microorganism by the Duke Criteria, the possibility of endocarditis needs to be highly entertained in patients with L. garvieae bacteremia, especially when prosthetic valves are present. Consequently, clinicians should pursue further this diagnosis with transesophageal echocardiogram and/or alternative imaging modalities (e.g., PET-CT scan and MRI) regardless of an initial negative transthoracic echocardiogram. Reaching a diagnosis of L. garvieae endocarditis led us to the decision of prolonging the antibiotic course for 6 weeks with successful results. Ultimately, surgery was not required owing to the absence of prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction and paravalvular extension of the infection.

ST-segment elevation in aVR has traditionally been used for electrocardiographic identification of left main coronary artery (LM) myocardial infarction. We present two ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) cases with acute total occlusion of the LM without aVR ST-segment elevation. This report reviews the different electrocardiographic discriminators suggestive of unprotected LM STEMI. ( Level of Difficulty: Intermediate. )

No abstract

Intramural coronary hematoma (IMCH) is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction (MI). We aim to review the current knowledge and share our experience with the diagnosis and management of a patient presenting with traumatic IMCH leading to an acute ST-segment elevation MI. ( Level of Difficulty: Intermediate. )

Significant (moderate or severe) paravalvular leak (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains a common phenomenon and has been associated with decrease survival and quality of life. Transcatheter valve embolization and migration (TVEM) is a rare post-TAVR complication that can occur in 1% of cases and has been associated with worse patient outcomes. Valve embolization or migration into the left ventricle can result in significant PVL causing hemodynamic instability, shock, heart failure, and hemolytic anemia. Although this complication most commonly occurs in the acute setting (90%) within 4 hours of TAVR, it can also present late (4 hr-43 days later) in 10% of cases. There are no clear guidelines as to how this condition should be managed; however, several percutaneous bailout techniques exist that can ultimately spare the patient from emergent cardiovascular surgery. We present a rare case of late ventricular transcatheter aortic valve migration 3 days after TAVR causing severe PVL and heart failure symptoms that was successfully treated using the percutaneous “double snare” technique.