Possible relationship between degenerative cardiac valvular pathology and lyme disease.
We report an unusual clinical presentation of Lyme carditis in a previously healthy 20-year-old black woman without any epidemiologic history of Lyme disease, fulminant in nature, involving a heart valve necessitating emergent mitral valve replacement, and requiring further surgical intervention because of the development of pericardial effusion and tamponade. A dilated right ventricle with normal contractility and severe tricuspid regurgitation with increase in the right atrial size diagnosed later remains under close surveillance.
Canver
C C
CC
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Albany Medical College, New York 12208, USA. canverc@mail.amc.edu
Chanda
J
J
DeBellis
D M
DM
Kelley
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications*; D008943:Mitral Valve; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology*