Workup and Management of Native and Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis

An audit of pre-operative dental radiographs in patients who received no pre-operative dental input before cardiovalvular surgery

Purpose To radiographically characterise dental disease burden and related characteristics of referred patients awaiting cardiovalvular surgery (CVS) in the context of infective endocarditis (IE) risk.Methods Radiographic evidence of dental disease levels was assessed for patients referred for dental assessment pre-CVS using available orthopantomographs (OPTs) prescribed by the cardiology team. This group did not receive any pre-CVS dental intervention or treatment.Results The majority of OPTs were Quality Standard 2 (87.5%). There was radiographic evidence of dentoalveolar disease in those patients proceeding to CVS. Periodontal disease was most prominent, with 79% of patients having advanced bone loss. The mean number of apical lesions was 0.71. Overall decayed, missing, and filled teeth score was 16.4, along with mean missing teeth scores of 7.9. None of the patients have so far developed IE at a minimum of six-month follow-up.Conclusions In our context, the quality of the radiographs requested by non-dental clinicians and delivered by non-dental-school-based radiographic departments is suboptimal and needs to be addressed. This audit should help to inform the debate around the timing and delivery of evidence-based, specialist dental care for CVS patients.

Contemporary Review of Multi-Modality Cardiac Imaging Evaluation of Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis (IE) remains to be a heterogeneous disease with high morbidity and mortality rates, which can affect native valves, prosthetic valves, and intra-cardiac devices, in addition to causing systemic complications. The combination of clinical, laboratory, and cardiac imaging evaluation is critical for early diagnosis and risk stratification of IE. This can facilitate timely medical and surgical management to improve patient outcomes. Key imaging findings for IE include vegetations, valve perforation, prosthetic valve dehiscence, pseudoaneurysms, abscesses, and fistulae. Transthoracic echocardiography continues to be the first-line imaging modality of choice, while transesophageal echocardiography subsequently provides an improved structural assessment and characterization of lesions to facilitate management decision in IE. Recent advances in other imaging modalities, especially cardiac computed tomography and 18F-fluorodeox-yglucose positron emission tomography, and to a lesser extent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and other nuclear imaging techniques, have demonstrated important roles in providing complementary IE diagnostic and prognostic information. This review aims to discuss the individual and integrated utilities of contemporary multi-modality cardiac imaging for the assessment and treatment guidance of IE.

Native valve, prosthetic valve, and cardiac device-related infective endocarditis: A review and update on current innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening microbial infection of native and prosthetic heart valves, endocardial surface, and/or indwelling cardiac device. Prevalence of IE is increasing and mortality has not significantly improved despite technological advances. This review provides an updated overview using recent literature on the clinical presentation, diagnosis, imaging, causative pathogens, treatment, and outcomes in native valve, prosthetic valve, and cardiac device-related IE. In addition, the experimental approaches used in IE research to improve the understanding of disease mechanisms and the current diagnostic pipelines are discussed, as well as potential innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This will ultimately help towards deriving better diagnostic tools and treatments to improve IE patient outcomes.

Rheumatoid arthritis mimicking infective endocarditis with severe aortic regurgitation and aortic root abscess: a case report

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may involve the cardiovascular system and can cause significant structural cardiac disease. RA mimicking infective endocarditis (IE) is rarely reported.

Case summary

A 46-year-old man with a medical history of seropositive RA attended a planned outpatient visit for infliximab treatment. The pre-infusion examination revealed a pulse of 41 b.p.m. and the following electrocardiogram showed 3rd degree atrioventricular block. A temporary pacemaker was inserted, and subsequent transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiograms showed severe aortic valve regurgitation with thickened cusps and thus raised suspicion of infective aortic endocarditis with root abscess. The patient underwent surgery with valve and root replacement the next day. What was thought to be IE, proved to be suppurative and granulomatous inflammation with sporadic necrosis and hyaline fibrosis, compatible with a rheumatoid nodule linked to the patient’s RA diagnosis.

Discussion

IE is a disease with high mortality and morbidity. In some cases of IE perivalvular cavities develop, most commonly abscesses and/or pseudoaneurysms, which necessitates surgery. Several conditions may mimic IE: for example, malignant and benign tumours, rheumatic diseases, and common age-related valve calcification. In patients with valvular vegetations that are ‘culture-negative’, alternative pathologies should be considered.

Clinical utility of echocardiography in secondary ischemic stroke prevention

Echocardiography employs ultrasound to evaluate cardiac function, structure and pathology. The clinical value in secondary ischemic stroke prevention depends on identification of associated conditions for which a change in treatment from antiplatelet agents and risk factor intervention leads to improved outcomes. Such therapeutically relevant findings include primarily intracardiac thrombus, valvular heart disease and, in highly selected patients, patent foramen ovale (PFO). Echocardiography in unselected patients with ischemic stroke has a very low yield of therapeutically relevant findings and is not cost-effective. With the exception of PFO, findings on echocardiography that are therapeutically relevant for secondary stroke prevention are almost always associated with history, signs or symptoms of cardiac or systemic disease. Choice of specific echocardiographic modalities should be based on the specific pathology or pathologies that are under consideration for the individual clinical situation. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with agitated saline has comparable accuracy to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for PFO detection. For other therapeutically relevant pathologies, with the possible exception of left ventricular thrombus (LVT), TEE is more sensitive than TTE. Professional societies recommend TTE as the initial test but these recommendations do not take cost into account. In contrast, cost-effectiveness studies have determined that the most sensitive echocardiographic modality should be selected as the initial and only test.

Case report: A fatal case of aortic and mitral valve endocarditis caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis

Background

Infective endocarditis (IE) secondary to rat-bite fever (RBF) is rare but potentially lethal. Rapid diagnosis is of utmost prognostic importance. However, the diagnosis of RBF is challenging because Streptobacillus moniliformis does not grow under conventional culture conditions.

Case summary

A 65-year-old male without previous cardiac history presented with sudden onset of balance problems and facial palsy. For 2 weeks, he had experienced intermittent fever and myalgia. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) revealed severe mitral and aortic valve IE with aortic root abscess. The patient underwent a double biological valve replacement. Blood cultures remained negative after 9 days of incubation. However, sub-cultivation on solid media demonstrated the growth of pleomorphic Gram-negative rods, identified as S. moniliformis. After 4 weeks of antibiotic therapy, he was discharged. One month later, control TOE showed valve excrescences and aortic annular aneurysm. Despite comprehensive surgery, antibiotic treatment, and intensive care, the patient died 1 week after reoperation.

Discussion

A fatal outcome of S. moniliformis IE is rare. The majority of previous cases describe underlying valvular abnormalities or death due to insufficient antimicrobial therapy. Here, the patient had no prehistory of valvular heart disease and despite appropriate antibiotics, the outcome was fatal. Rapid diagnosis of RBF IE has prognostic implications. Identification of S. moniliformis is, however, difficult, because the bacterium is fastidious and does not grow under standard laboratory conditions. Therefore, diagnosis often relies on clinical symptoms or a history of rodent exposure. Close attention to this disease by clinicians, in addition to, dialogue with clinical microbiologists is essential.