Uncommon type of mitral insufficiency caused by perivalvular communication between left ventricle and left atrium

This case report describes a patient with an uncommon type of mitral incompetence caused by a perivalvular communication between the left ventricle (LV) and the left atrium (LA) masked by a considerable fibrotic subvalvular aortic stenosis, endocarditis and congestive heart failure (CHF). A 64 year old farmer with a history of a systolic murmur since childhood complaining of increasing fatigue and dyspnoea, temperature over 39 degrees C, and signs of CHF was admitted and transferred to a cardiological unit. Invasive examination and continuing clinical deterioration caused urgent transfer for surgery under suspicion of a decompensated hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Clinical investigation revealed a decompensated subvalvular aortic stenosis and a mild mitral insufficiency. At surgery the advanced fibrotic subvalvular stenosis was resected. After coming off bypass severe mitral insufficiency was detected by intraoperative analysis of the simultaneous intracavitary-pressure tracings. A midsystolic maximum of a high V-wave of the LA-pressure tracing was suggestive of an unusual reason of the mitral insufficiency. Reexploration indicated a perivalvular broad communication from the LA groove to the LV with an otherwise normal mitral valve. The communication was closed using buttressed mattress-sutures. This uncommon type of mitral incompetence via a perivalvular LA-LV communication was probably caused by endocarditis and an intramyocardial abscess in the LA-wall which subendocardially led to LV-LA communication.