title: Severe mitral valve involvement in a child with hypereosinophilia secondary to parasitic infection.
abstract: An 11-year-old boy with severe mitral regurgitation due to hypereosinophilia caused by infection with a filaria (Mansonella perstans) required mitral valve replacement with a prosthetic valve. During recurrent postoperative hypereosinophilia, the patient experienced severe mitral stenosis due to thrombosis of the mitral prosthesis. Despite adequate anticoagulation, the prosthesis had to be replaced as an emergency with a second prosthetic valve. Permanent control of the eosinophil count was achieved with chronic oral steroid administration. In contrast to other microfilariae, M. perstans is non-pathogenic to humans; nevertheless, longstanding hypereosinophilia may lead to severe cardiac involvement endangering the patient's life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mladen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berdat
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.forename: Cristoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aebi
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carrel
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pfammatter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D017681:Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008366:Mansonella; D008368:Mansonelliasis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011665:Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index