The vegetation that was not a vegetation: excusable misinterpretation of transesophageal echocardiography findings in late infective endocarditis of a prosthetic mitral valve.
The echocardiographic detection of a valvar mobile mass with independent mobility is one of the major Duke criteria for diagnosing infective endocarditis.(1) We report a case in which a mobile mass seen by transesophageal echocardiography on a prosthetic mitral valve with proven endocarditis was not a vegetation but pannus. This is an important clinical message for the interpretation of mobile masses on artificial valves.
Ionescu
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Departments of Cardiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK. Ionescu@cf.ac.uk
Butchart
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EG
D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*