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.
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Albany Medical College, New York 12208, USA. canverc@mail.amc.edu
C C
CC
Canver
J
J
Chanda
D M
DM
DeBellis
J M
JM
Kelley
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications*; D008943:Mitral Valve; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology*