title: Development of an aortic valve mass after radiofrequency catheter ablation.
abstract: A 49-year-old woman underwent a successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of a left-sided accessory pathway using a retrograde approach across the aortic valve. Routine echocardiography performed 20 hours after the procedure revealed a new aortic valve mass. Five blood cultures were negative. An echocardiogram after 2 days of heparin therapy showed complete resolution of the mass. There was no clinical evidence of embolization. Echocardiography may need to be performed routinely after catheter ablations performed retrograde across the aortic valve so that this potentially devastating complication can be diagnosed and treated early in its course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Raitt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schwaegler
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Pearlman
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bardy
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Dolack
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kudenchuk
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve; D001283:Atrioventricular Node / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*