Successful tricuspid valvectomy in a septic patient with tricuspid valve endocarditis.
Endocarditis is characterized by vegetations, which is a mass of platelets, ﬁbrin, micro-colonies of micro-organisms, and inﬂammatory cells, in the endocardium. Over the past three decades, the incidence of right-sided endocarditis has risen dramatically in Pakistan. We report a 36-year woman with a history of repeated intravenous analgesic injections for low back pain, presenting with high grade fever, sepsis and a white cell count of 44,000 with 90% neutrophils. Echocardiography showed large mobile vegetations on Tricuspid Valve (TV). Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis (TVE) is generally responsive to medical treatment; however, about 25% of TVE patients require surgical intervention. Long-term survival of a patient is possible without a prosthetic TV replacement, particularly if the pulmonary artery pressure is normal.
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Taimur Asif
TA
Ali
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Saulat Hasnain
SH
Fatimi
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Syed Saad
SS
Naeem
Medical student, The Aga Khan University, Karachi.
Wasiq Faraz
WF
Rawasia
D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery