The value of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography for the diagnosis of the native aortic infective endocarditis valve complications: a case report and literature review.

Abstract

Despite its current limitations transthoracic echocardiography is still widely used for the anatomical and functional evaluation of patients with infective endocarditis. However, all these limitations can be overcome by using transesophageal echocardiography. We present the case of a 42-year-old male patient, diagnosed with aortic valve infective endocarditis, whose transthoracic echocardiography showed only a cusp vegetation and aortic regurgitation, but raised the suspicion of periannular complications. The transesophageal echocardiography revealed a circular aortic root abscess and a ventricular septal defect with left-to-right shunt, and consequently leads to a complete different surgical tactical approach. The patient was urgently referred for surgery due to the rapid deterioration of the hemodynamic status, and had a good outcome on the short-term follow-up.

Pediatric infective endocarditis initially presenting as hemorrhagic stroke

“…However, TTE remains the simplest approach compared to TEE. 9 Anterior mitral leaflet (AML) vegetations remain one of the most common echocardiographic findings in relation to IE, as we noted in our patient. 8,9 An infectious cerebral aneurysm in IE patients suggests that vascular tissue is friable and vulnerable.…”

“…9 Anterior mitral leaflet (AML) vegetations remain one of the most common echocardiographic findings in relation to IE, as we noted in our patient. 8,9 An infectious cerebral aneurysm in IE patients suggests that vascular tissue is friable and vulnerable. 10 Intracranial aneurysm arises from either septic embolism of the vasa vasorum or from subsequent bacterial dissemination spreading from a septic embolism of occluded vessels.…”

Surgical Treatment of Valvular Infective Endocarditis Complicated by An Abscess: A Single Center’s Experience

“…Abscesses are more common in patients with prosthetic versus native valves, reported in 40% versus 19%, respectively [6]. Roughly 22% of patients with aortic valve IE have a periannular abscess, mainly due to coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections [6,13]. In our series, the aortic valve was more commonly associated with an abscess than any of the other valves.…”

Surgical Treatment in a High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: Case Report

“…Transesophageal echocardiography is a fast, non-invasive method of diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism, being able to evaluate the right ventricular dilatation and the presence of emboli within the pulmonary arteries [ 10 ]. Precise recognition of possible complications is important for the medical and surgical management of these patients, as those complications could generate unexplained congestive heart failure and hemodynamic deterioration [ 11 ]. The importance of involving multidisciplinary teams (including specialists in cardiology, cardiac surgery, and intensive care) in complex cases with high risks is revealed by the successful outcome [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”