title: Infective endocarditis presenting as an isolated aneurysm of the posterior mitral leaflet.
abstract: We describe the case of a 64-year-old woman in whom an aneurysm located on the posterior mitral leaflet was detected. Blood cultures grew methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus epidermidis, and histologic examination of the operative specimen showed polymorphonuclear neutrophilic infiltration of the valve wall associated with fibrin and necrosis, consistent with a diagnosis of endocarditis. The posterior mitral location of the aneurysm and the absence of vegetation are exceptionally rare in this setting. This case demonstrates that a mitral aneurysm may be the sole cardiac presentation of infective endocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. philippe.unger@erasme.ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antoine
authors.forename: Delfyne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hastir
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dedobbeleer
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leeman
mesh_terms: D000783:Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification