title: Perivalvular pannus and valve thrombosis: two concurrent mechanisms of mechanical valve prosthesis dysfunction.
abstract: A 78-year-old woman was admitted to our institution with progressive dyspnea. She had previously been diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease and had undergone cardiac surgery for mechanical mitral valve replacement ten years previously. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed blockage of the mechanical prosthesis and the patient was scheduled for surgery, in which a thrombus was removed from the left atrial appendage. A partial thrombosis of the mechanical prosthesis and circumferential pannus overgrowth were concomitantly detected. Prosthetic heart valve blockage is a rare but life-threatening complication, the main causes of which are thrombosis and pannus formation. The two conditions are different but both are usually misdiagnosed. Two concurrent mechanisms of prosthesis blockage were found in this patient.
authors: Cardiac Surgery Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. Electronic address: elearnaiz@hotmail.com.
authors: María Elena
authors: ME
authors: Arnáiz-García
authors: Cardiac Surgery Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Jose María
authors: JM
authors: González-Santos
authors: Cardiac Surgery Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: María E
authors: ME
authors: Bueno-Codoñer
authors: Cardiac Surgery Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: López-Rodríguez
authors: Cardiac Surgery Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: María José
authors: MJ
authors: Dalmau-Sorlí
authors: Cardiac Surgery Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Adolfo
authors: A
authors: Arévalo-Abascal
authors: Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Arribas-Jiménez
authors: Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Diego-Nieto
authors: Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Rodríguez-Collado
authors: Anesthesiology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Jose María
authors: JM
authors: Rodríguez-López
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology*; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Disfunção valvar mecânica; Mechanical valve dysfunction; Mitral; Pannus; Prosthesis; Prótese; Thrombosis; Trombose