Infective endocarditis of the aortic valve complicated by massive pericardial effusion and rupture of a sinus of valsalva into the right atrium.
Infective endocarditis (IE) of the aortic valve is most commonly associated with perivalvular invasion and intracardiac fistula formation, which sometimes give rise to unpredictable clinical events. Massive pericardial effusion and aorticocardiac fistula are very rare complications of IE. We present a case in which IE of the aortic valve was initially associated with massive pericardial effusion requiring drainage and later complicated by rupture of a sinus of Valsalva with a fistula into the right atrium without formation of aneurysm. To our knowledge, the concurrent occurrence of these two events in a patient with IE has not been previously reported.
Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kiyuk
K
Chang
Ki-Bae
KB
Seung
Woo-Seung
WS
Shin
Pum-Joon
PJ
Kim
Sang-Hyun
SH
Ihm
Dong-Gun
DG
Lee
Jae-Hyung
JH
Kim
Soon-Jo
SJ
Hong
Kyu-Bo
KB
Choi
D000368:Aged; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001021:Aortic Valve; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D006325:Heart Atria; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva