Echocardiography manifestations of flail aortic valve leaflets in bacterial endocarditis

This report describes the echocardiographic features seen in a case of bacterial endocarditis in which the aortic valve leaflets had been partially destroyed. The endocardiogram demonstrated unusual, disorganized echo patterns in the outflow tract of the left ventricle near the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve in diastole. These were shown to be continuous with similar disorganized echo patterns demonstrated in the aortic root in diastole. These echocardiographic abnormalities were no longer present after aortic valve replacement.