Chest
Selected ReportsUtility of Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Conservative Management of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis
Section snippets
Case 1
A 33-year-old male intravenous drug abuser, with a St. Jude mitral valve replacement, was admitted to the hospital with headache, lethargy, abdominal pain, and fever. Examination revealed a fever of 39.5°C, heart rate of 100/min, blood pressure of 110/70 mm Hg, a crisp valve click, a 1/6 systolic ejection murmur, hepatosplenomegaly, and embolic lesions on the right great toe. The patient was HIV positive with a WBC count of 21.7 × 103/cu mm. Chest roentgenogram was normal and the
Discussion
Despite the belief by some that patients with mechanical PVE should undergo operation as soon as the diagnosis has been established,2 we have documented the successful medical management of this condition. The enhanced ability to evaluate and monitor mechanical prostheses and adjacent endocardial structures during and following active infection provides greater latitude in determining the need for, and timing of, surgical intervention.
Echocardiography is the noninvasive imaging diagnostic
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Dr. Arthur Chernoff and Dr. Harry Goldberg provided clinical information.
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Cited by (6)
Successful medical therapy of Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis
1995, Antimicrobics and Infectious Diseases NewsletterProsthetic valve endocarditis: Superiority of surgical valve replacement versus medical therapy only
1994, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery“Shot to the Heart”: Case Report and Concise Review of Cardiac Gunshot Injury
2020, Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case ReportsAcute infective endocarditis
1997, Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
This study was supported in part by the Women's League for Medical Research.