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Echocardiographic appearance of ruptured aortic cusp
The American Journal of Medicine
|January 1, 1977
Summary
Enterococcal endocarditis can cause aortic valve prolapse and vegetations, as seen in serial echocardiograms. Surgery confirmed a flail noncoronary cusp with an adherent vegetation, explaining the imaging findings.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiac Surgery
Background:
- Enterococcal endocarditis is a serious infection affecting heart valves.
- Aortic insufficiency can result from damage to the aortic valve.
Observation:
- Serial echocardiograms revealed vegetations on the aortic valve in a patient with enterococcal endocarditis.
- The imaging suggested progression of the lesion, leading to aortic valve cusp prolapse.
Findings:
- Surgical exploration identified a flail noncoronary cusp.
- An 8 mm vegetation was found adherent to the flail cusp.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of serial echocardiography in diagnosing and monitoring infective endocarditis.
- Understanding the anatomical correlations can refine the interpretation of echocardiographic findings in complex valve disease.