Mitral valve vegetations in bacterial endocarditis resembling left atrial myxoma

A patient with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis is reported whose echocardiogram closely resembled that found in left atrial myxoma. Because of severe mitral incompetence, the valve was replaced using cardiopulmonary bypass and at operation a large 3 cm friable vegetation was found attached to the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. Histological examination showed changes typical of bacterial endocarditis with no evidence of myxoma.