title: [Surgical treatment of the hypereosinophilic syndrome with cardiac involvement (Löffler's endocarditis)].
abstract: HISTORY AND LABORATORY FINDINGS: A 38-year-old woman presented for further treatment of heart failure with NYHA class III symptoms and the idiopathic eosinophilia syndrome. Differential blood count had previously revealed an eosinophilia of 19%, which had fallen to normal under immunosuppression .
  
  
  METHODS
  Echocardiography demonstrated echo-rich material in the left ventricular (LV) apex, severe mitral regurgitation and a restriction pattern in the transmitral flow profile. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) additionally showed a parietal thrombus sitting on the echo-rich mass in the LV apex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical LV endocardial resection and allogenic mitral valve replacement were performed. At follow-up (currently four years after the operation) the patient reported marked improvement of symptoms. Echocardiography and MRI demonstrated a normal configuration of the LV apex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While endomyocardial fibrosis usually has a poor prognosis, this case illustrates hat surgical treatment of an associated mitral regurgitation can in selected cases be successful.
authors.affiliation: Kardiologische Klinik des Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Bad Oeynhausen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jategaonkar
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Butz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017681:Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery