title: Aorto-left atrial fistula in prosthetic aortic endocarditis.
abstract: Aortic valve endocarditis commonly leads to the formation of a root abscess, but fistulae are uncommon. The echocardiographic findings in a patient with Streptococcus viridans endocarditis of a prosthetic aortic valve associated with a fistula between the aorta and the left atrium are presented. The diagnosis was made by transthoracic echocardiography, although the transesophageal study gave higher resolution views and allowed a more confident exclusion of mitral valve involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kelion
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Deverall
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001159:Arterio-Arterial Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery