title: Aortic root abscess without involvement of the aortic valve in a child caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive staphylococci.
abstract: Aortic root abscess without any involvement of the aortic valve is extremely rare. This report describes an 11-year-old girl with subperiosteal abscess due to a virulent organism called Panton-Valentine leukocidin-secreting staphylococci. Although her initial transthoracic echocardiogram did not show any cardiac abnormality, she subsequently experienced an aortic root abscess communicating with the left ventricle. The aortic valve was unaffected, and no other cardiac abnormality was detected at any stage. The girl made a complete recovery after surgical intervention for her aortic root abscess, which was increasing in size despite antibiotic therapy. Patients with such illnesses require close monitoring with repeated expert echocardiography and timely intervention.
authors.affiliation: Glenfield General Hospital Leicester, London, United Kingdom. abdul.rasheed@uhl-tr.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bu'Lock
authors.forename: Ranjith
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leanage
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Firmin
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001021:Aortic Valve; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin