Tricuspid valve incompetence caused by an intracardiac needle-like foreign body.
We report a rare case of tricuspid valve incompetence caused by a needle-like foreign body with an unknown route of invasion. A 55-year-old woman who had suffered from chronic heart failure for more than 25 years was diagnosed as having Ebstein's anomaly after a transthoracic echocardiogram with Doppler imaging showed severe tricuspid regurgitation and displacement of the septal leaflet toward the right ventricle inlet. Surgery revealed a foreign body attached to the tricuspid valve, causing regurgitation. Valve replacement was performed and the patient's condition improved remarkably thereafter.
Kobayashi
Toshiro
T
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saiseikai Shimonoseki General Hospital, Yamaguchi, Japan. kobaling@tf6.so-net.ne.jp
Hayashi
Kenji
K
Sakata
Kensuke
K
Kobayashi
Yurio
Y
D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications*; D006321:Heart; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles / Q000009:adverse effects; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery