title: Late mitral annuloplasty failure: the loss of the ring.
abstract: An 81-year-old man complained with increasing dyspnoea and asthenia few months after a successful double mitral and tricuspid valvuloplasty intervention. The echocardiogram revealed a partial detachment of the mitral annuloplasty ring due to dehiscence determining a severe regurgitation. Curiously, at Color-Doppler analysis of mitral inflow, the prolapse of the detached ring produced a fascinating circular line inside the regurgitation signal, mimicking the shape of a gemstone ring. We described a case of a relatively uncommon cause of late mitral valvuloplasty failure characterized by a really unusual echocardiographic finding.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zacà
authors.forename: Piercarlo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ballo
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondillo
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color