Severe mitral valve regurgitation secondary to Libman-Sacks endocarditis

Although uncommon, Libman-Sack endocarditis is the most characteristic cardiac manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). It forms vegetations made of inflammatory tissue on the cardiac valves, leading them to malfunction. Here we present a case of a young woman who presented with severe mitral valve regurgitation in need for a valve replacement. Integral evaluation of the patient revealed the diagnosis of SLE, which was aggressively treated in an outpatient setting with immunosuppressive therapy. Only after achieving medical stabilization of the underlying disease, she was able to undergo surgical mitral valve replacement. After the surgery, the patient no longer suffered from mitral regurgitation, and with a mechanical prosthesis in place, the risk of Libman-Sacks endocarditis recurrence is thought to be minimal.