title: Fungal pulmonary valve endocarditis masquerading as a pulmonary embolism.
abstract: Septic pulmonary emboli (SPE) can be a difficult clinical entity to distinguish from thromboembolic pulmonary embolism (TPE) in a patient with history of IV drug abuse (IVDA). We present a case of a patient who presented with failure to thrive and presumed diagnosis of recurrent PE that ultimately was discovered to have fungal pulmonary valve endocarditis resulting in a right ventricular outflow obstruction. This required replacement of the pulmonary valve and repair of the right ventricular outflow tract. This case highlights difficulty in differentiating pulmonary valve endocarditis with septic emboli from chronic PE in a patient with a complex medical history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43201, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43201, USA.
authors.forename: Peter H U
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Anesthesia, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43201, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Essandoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43201, USA.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2365-3093
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kilic