[Mitral valve replacement in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome]

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES) is a rare systemic manifestation of eosinophilia that may cause endocardial fibrosis and thrombus formation. We presented a 48-year-old man with rapid onset of intractable congestive heart failure during the course of chemotherapy for IHES. After the urgent operation, which included left ventricular thrombectomy and mitral valve replacement the patient was asymptomatic, but died 1 month after operation because of development of IHES. Atrioventricular valve replacement may be beneficial to selected patients with congestive heart failure associated with the cardiac process of the IHES and review of the literature led us to prefer porcine heterograft prostheses in patients with IHES.