Eustachian valve endocarditis: a rare localization of right side endocarditis. A case report and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Right-sided endocarditis occurs predominantly in intravenous drug users, in patients with pacemaker or central venous lines and in patients with congenital heart disease. The vast majority of cases involve the tricuspid valve. Eustachian valve endocarditis is an uncommon disease with similar signs and symptoms of the tricuspid valve endocarditis. A series of only 16 cases of eustachian valve endocarditis are reported in the literature.


METHODS
We present a case of a 25-year old woman with intravenous drug abuse who had a staphylococcus aureus tricuspid valve endocarditis associated to eustachian valve endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiography, as first line examination, showed the vegetations on tricuspid and eustachian valve.


CONCLUSIONS
Our case describe an unusual location of right side endocarditis in a intravenous drug abuser. In our case, in accord with other cases described in the literature, transthoracic echocardiography disclosed eustachian valve endocarditis. Antimicrobial management is not altered by the recognition of eustachian valve endocarditis. Antibiotic treatment and duration of eustachian endocarditis depends on the isolated organism and is similar to antibiotic therapy used in native valve endocarditis.
Pellicelli
Adriano M
AM
San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, via Portuense 332, 00149 Rome, Italy. apellicelli@scamilloforlanini.rm.it
Pino
Paolo
P
Terranova
Antonio
A
D'Ambrosio
Cecilia
C
Soccorsi
Fabrizio
F
D000328:Adult; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000382:microbiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology*