A complicated case of mitral valve disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Cardiac Surgery
• Pathology

Background:

• Patient history of rheumatic mitral stenosis and prior cerebral embolism.
• Myocardial infarction occurred during cardiac catheterization.
• Developed severe mitral regurgitation post-valvotomy.

Observation:

• Papillary tumor of the mitral valve identified during valve replacement.
• Unexplained low cardiac output post-operation.
• Postmortem revealed thrombotic occlusion of xenograft prosthesis.

Findings:

• Thrombotic occlusion of a xenograft prosthesis, a novel complication with tissue valves.
• Rare papillary tumor of the mitral valve.
• Clinical course suggested rare complications.

Implications:

• Cross-sectional echocardiography could diagnose these rare events.
• Highlights potential complications in complex cardiac cases.
• Informs on rare prosthetic valve complications.