Periannular Mitral Valve Prosthesis Crypts Mimicking Periprosthetic Abscesses

Kinsing Ko1, Saloua El Messaoudi2, Frederik van den Heuvel2

  • 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

JACC. Case Reports
|August 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Mitral annular abscesses are rare complications of infective endocarditis. This case highlights a supra-annular prosthesis mimicking periprosthetic abscesses, crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Surgical Pathology

Background:

  • Mitral annular abscesses are uncommon but serious complications, often linked to infective endocarditis.
  • Periprosthetic abscesses around mitral valve prostheses pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Observation:

  • A patient presented with clinical and imaging findings suggestive of multiple periprosthetic abscesses complicating an infected mitral prosthesis.
  • Intraoperative inspection revealed a supra-annularly implanted prosthesis, not a traditional trans-annular dehiscence.

Findings:

  • The imaging findings were misleading, mimicking typical periprosthetic abscesses.
  • The supra-annular placement of the prosthesis altered the expected anatomical presentation of complications.

Implications:

  • Accurate differentiation between true periprosthetic abscesses and anatomical variants is critical for guiding surgical intervention.
  • This case underscores the importance of detailed perioperative assessment in managing complex cardiac device infections.