title: Mitral valve ring dehiscence with an aorta-left atrial fistula.
abstract: In an era with the increasing use of various imaging modalities including echocardiography, ventriculography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, one must be aware of the limitations of each discipline. We report a case of an individual who presented with both a partial dehiscence of a mitral valve annuloplasty ring and an aorta-left atrium fistula following surgical management of infective endocarditis that was correctly identified using transesophageal echocardiographic imaging.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Ultrasound Laboratory, Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, VBK-508, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. djassal@partners.org
authors.forename: Davinder S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jassal
authors.forename: Tomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Neilan
authors.forename: Umaima
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fatima
authors.forename: Godtfred
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmvang
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agnihotri
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Danita M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Yoerger
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial; D005402:Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016157:Vascular Fistula / Q000382:microbiology*; D034363:Viridans Streptococci