Endocarditis after acute Q fever in patients with previously undiagnosed valvulopathies.
We describe 3 cases of endocarditis after acute Q fever in 3 patients with clinically silent, undiagnosed valvulopathies, including mitral valve prolapse, minimal valvular leak, and biscuspid aortic valve. We conclude that, to prevent endocarditis, these minor valvulopathies must be actively searched for with echocardiography after diagnosis of acute Q fever.
Unite des Rickettsies, Universite de la Mediterranee, Marseille, France.
Florence
F
Fenollar
Franck
F
Thuny
Bernard
B
Xeridat
Hubert
H
Lepidi
Didier
D
Raoult
D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D011778:Q Fever / Q000150:complications*