title: Morphologic analysis of a strand recovered from a prosthetic mitral valve: No evidence of fibrin.
abstract: We report the first morphologic analysis of a linear mobile structure (strand) detected by transesophageal echocardiography on a bioprosthetic mitral valve and then recovered at surgery. Electron microscopy showed it to consist of a sparsely cellular component, with extracellular amorphous or fibrillary areas. Collagen was largely responsible for the fibrillary appearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical Microscopy Sciences, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK. ionescu@cf.ac.uk
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ionescu
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Butchart
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology*