Occult paravalvular leak in a clinically normal St. Jude's mitral valve presenting with life-threatening microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.
A case of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia associated with a St. Jude Medical prosthetic paravalvular valve leak, not detected by echocardiography or cardiac angiography and requiring thoracotomy for diagnosis and therapy is described. The importance of considering the presence of a paravalvular leak in a patient with MAHA and a prosthetic valve even with a negative invasive cardiac work-up is discussed.
Smith
R E
RE
Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Berg
D
D
D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000209:etiology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D011474:Prosthesis Design