Surgical treatment of multivalvular endocarditis: Twenty-one–year single center experience

Triple Threat: Triple-Valve Endocarditis Case Report and Literature Review

Triple valve endocarditis (TVE) is a rare presentation of endocarditis often requiring multivalvular surgery. Here we report a case of S. aureus triple valve endocarditis in a patient with a history of intravenous drug use and provide a literature review of TVE identification, treatment, and prognosis.

An Unusual Case of a Double Tricuspid and Mitral Valves Infective Endocarditis Complicated by Multiple Septic Embolisms Secondary to an Atrial Septal Defect: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Multivalvular endocarditis (MVE) is an uncommon infection that mostly involves mitral and aortic valves, and it is related to a higher risk of congestive heart failure and a higher mortality. We described a case of a bilateral MVE and performed a review of the literature on similar clinical cases. We reported an unusual case of a 68-year-old male patient with a tricuspid and mitral infective endocarditis due to a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus complicated by multiple right- and left-sided septic embolization (lungs, brain, spleen, L2-L3 vertebral bones) due to an unknown atrial septal defect identified and repaired during cardiac surgery. Despite the severity of the clinical case, the patient experienced a good clinical outcome also thanks to a multidisciplinary approach. We identified 21 case reports describing bilateral MVE. A multidisciplinary approach is essential in the management of valve diseases to improve the prognosis of patients, especially in bilateral MVE.

Multivalvular Endocarditis: A Rare Condition with Poor Prognosis

Background. Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe condition. Our aim was to describe the profile and prognosis of patients with multivalvular infective endocarditis (MIE) and compare them to single-valve IE (SIE). Methods. We used a retrospective analysis of the Spanish IE Registry (2008−2020). Results. From 4064 definite cases of valvular IE, 577 (14.2%) had MIE. In patients with MIE, the most common locations were mitral (552, 95.7%) and aortic (550, 95.3%), with mitral-aortic involvement present in 507 patients (87.9%). The most common etiologies were S. viridans (192, 33.3%) and S. aureus (113, 19.6%). MIE involved only native valves in 450 patients (78.0%). Compared with patients with SIE, patients with MIE had a similar age (69 vs. 67 years, respectively, p = 0.27) and similar baseline characteristics, but were more frequently men (67.1% vs. 72.9%, p = 0.005) and had a higher incidence of intracardiac complications (36.2% vs. 50.4%, p < 0.001), heart failure (42.7% vs. 52.9%, p < 0.001), surgical indication (67.7 vs. 85.1%, p < 0.001), surgery (46.3% vs. 56.3%), and in-hospital mortality (26.9% vs. 34.3%, p < 0.001). MIE was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1−1.7, p = 0.004) but did not have an independent association with 1-year mortality (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9−1.4, p = 0.43). Conclusions. About one-seventh of the valvular IE patients had MIE, mainly due to mitral-aortic involvement. MIE is associated with a poor in-hospital prognosis. An early diagnosis and treatment of IE might avoid its spread to a second valve.

Multivalve infective endocarditis in intravenous drug using patients: an epidemiological study

BACKGROUND

Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a life-threatening condition. Intravenous drug use (IVDU) adds to the clinical challenge associated with IE due to clinical aberrations caused by the social issues associated with this population.

AIM

To improve survival, this study aimed to characterize the contemporary IVDU-associated IE population seen at our tertiary hospital, determine their long-term outcomes and find risk factors associated with mortality.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational cohort study.

METHODS

A total of 79 patients accounting for 89 presentations were treated for IVDU-associated IE at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) between 1999 and 2015. Patients were followed-up until death or January 2021. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate long-term survival estimates. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to examine risk factors for mortality.

RESULTS

The IVDU population treated at SVHM had a high rate of multivalvular IE, at 18.98%. Multivariate analysis revealed that multivalvular IE is significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality in a dose-dependent relationship (two valves affected: HR = 4.73, P = 0.006, three valves affected: HR = 14.19, P = 0.014). The IVDU population has survival estimates of 83.78% (95%CI: 73.21-90.45%) at 1-year and 64.98% (95%CI: 50.94-75.92%) at 15-years.

CONCLUSION

IVDU patients have high rates of multivalvular endocarditis, which is associated with increased risk of mortality and difficult to identify on echocardiography. Clinicians should be suspicious of multivalve involvement in the IVDU population and decisions related to medical management/intervention should be made with the understanding that these patients are at a higher risk of death.

Double-valve infective endocarditis: clinical features and prognostic impact-a retrospective study in a surgical centre

Most cases of infective endocarditis (IE) involve a single valve, and little is known concerning IE that simultaneously affects two valves. The involvement of more than one valve may imply more severe and extensive cardiac lesions. In these patients, surgery may be challenging. We aimed to determine the clinical characteristics, the therapeutic strategy, and the prognostic impact of double-valve IE (DVIE). We retrospectively included in the analysis that 440 consecutive patients with definite active IE in a single surgical centre. DVIE occurred in 75 of the total enrolled 440 patients (17%) and involved mostly the combination of mitral and aortic valves (N = 63, 84%). Most patients had double-native IE (N = 45, 60%). Staphylococci were less frequent in patients with double-valve than single-valve IE (SVIE). The proportion of patients undergoing valve repair among those treated surgically was higher for patients with DVIE than for SVIE (p < 0.03). Valve repair of at least one valve was associated with non-significant better survival than double replacement. DVIE was associated with higher all-cause mortality than SVIE (p < 0.013) and a higher relapse rate (p = 0.023). DVIE was not associated with a higher risk of composite non-fatal adverse events. DVIE represents a considerable proportion of overall cases of IE, mainly involving aortic and mitral valves, with a jet lesion on the mitral valve; Staphylococcus is significantly less frequent than in SVIE; DVIE is independently associated with higher mortality and relapse rate; finally, mitral valve repair is feasible in a considerable proportion of surgical cases.

2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

AIM

This executive summary of the valvular heart disease guideline provides recommendations for clinicians to diagnose and manage valvular heart disease as well as supporting documentation to encourage their use.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 1, 2010, to March 1, 2020, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Reports, and other selected database relevant to this guideline. Structure: Many recommendations from the earlier valvular heart disease guidelines have been updated with new evidence and provides newer options for diagnosis and treatment of valvular heart disease. This summary includes only the recommendations from the full guideline which focus on diagnostic work-up, the timing and choice of surgical and catheter interventions, and recommendations for medical therapy. The reader is referred to the full guideline for graphical flow charts, text, and tables with additional details about the rationale for and implementation of each recommendation, and the evidence tables detailing the data considered in developing these guidelines.

Results of surgical management of infective endocarditis associated with Staphylococcus aureus

OBJECTIVES

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a leading cause of infective endocarditis (IE), and such cases are on the rise. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of surgical intervention in patients with SA-associated IE and to identify the factors associated with outcomes.

METHODS

Between 2009 and 2017, 585 patients underwent valve surgery for definitive left-sided IE at 14 affiliated hospitals. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed, and the preoperative variables and clinical results of patients with (n = 117) or without SA infection (n = 468) were compared.

RESULTS

The SA group had a more critical preoperative condition with higher rates of chronic haemodialysis, preoperative embolic events and preoperative inflammation levels, as well as worse renal function. In-hospital mortality was 20% and 7% in the patients with or without SA infection, respectively. The overall survival rate at 1 year and 5 years was 72% and 62% in the SA group, and 88% and 81% in the non-SA group, respectively (P < 0.001). The Cox hazard analysis revealed that methicillin-resistant SA infection was an independent risk factor for overall mortality in the SA group. The rate of freedom from recurrence of endocarditis at 1 year and 5 years was 95% and 90% in the SA group and 96% and 92% in the non-SA group, respectively (P = 0.43).

CONCLUSIONS

The short- and mid-term outcomes after valve surgery for active IE in patients with SA are still challenging. Methicillin-resistant SA infection is an independent predictor of mid-term mortality.

Tri-Valvular Endocarditis in a Previously Normal Heart Misdiagnosed as Recurrent Valley Fever

Infective endocarditis (IE) is classified as an infection of any cardiac valve or endocardial surface. This condition is associated with high morbidity and mortality; hence, early diagnosis and rapid intervention are extremely vital. Although IE is frequently found to infect only one heart valve, rare instances have shown multi-valvular involvement. Many conditions can present similar to IE, often delaying the diagnosis of IE. Coccidioidomycosis (or Valley Fever), a fungal infection endemic in the Southwestern United States, can present with features analogous to those of IE. We present the case of a middle-aged male with no underlying structural heart disease found to have tri-valvular IE after being misdiagnosed with recurrent Valley Fever. 

Multivalvular Endocarditis Involving 3 Valves in a Nonsurgical Candidate

Infective endocarditis is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Hence, early diagnosis and prompt intervention is crucial. Multivalvular endocarditis involving 3 or more valves is rarely reported with little information regarding best management or prognosis, particularly in nonsurgical patients. Conflicting guidelines regarding medical versus surgical treatment in multivalvular endocarditis exist with few studies describing the outcome of medically managed patients. We report the case of a previously healthy male presenting with infective endocarditis involving 3 valves further complicated by multiple septic emboli and deemed a nonsurgical candidate.

A surgical case of triple valve replacement for triple valve endocarditis with multiple vegetations

A 68-year-old man with cerebral infarction and right hemiplegia was diagnosed with active infective endocarditis, and multiple large vegetations and more than moderate valve regurgitation by three different valves were detected using transthoracic echocardiography. An urgent surgical intervention was selected, and aortic and mitral valve replacements using bioprostheses were initially performed due to large vegetation on both these valves with valve cusp destruction. Residual severe regurgitation persisted despite tricuspid valve plasty; therefore, tricuspid valve replacement using a tissue valve was performed, and triple valve replacement was eventually accomplished without any serious hemodynamic compromise. The postoperative clinical course was fair and the patient was discharged after 3 months of inpatient strict management and cardiac rehabilitation. However, he died approximately 9 months after the initial surgery due to multiple organ failure. We herein presented a rare surgical case of triple valve replacement for triple valve endocarditis with multiple large vegetations.

Surgical Treatment of Infective Endocarditis in Pulmonary Position-15 Years Single Centre Experience

Background and Objectives: Infective endocarditis in the pulmonary position is a rare disease. Isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis is extremely rare. The aim of our study was to assess patients who were treated surgically for pulmonary endocarditis at our institution from January 2003 to December 2017. Materials and Methods: We analyze eight cases of infectious endocarditis in pulmonary position out of 293 patients who were operated for infective endocarditis (2.7%, 8/293). Only two of these eight patients were not related to congenital heart malformation. They were followed for early and late mortality, long-term survival, postoperative morbidity and reoperations. Results: Among six patients suffering from congenital heart disease, four patients underwent corrections of pulmonary valve malformation previously, and their infected grafts were replaced by two allografts and two xenografts. The two other patients had replaced their infected pulmonary valves with allografts. Two non-congenital patients with pulmonary valve endocarditis underwent valve replacement with biological prosthesis. All patients survived the early postoperative course. The mean follow-up time was 9.1 (interquartile range (IQR), 5.3-12.6) years. The long-term follow-up included seven patients. One patient (12.5%, 1/8) died more than 4 years after the surgery due to sepsis. Pulmonary endocarditis was the rarest endocarditis treated surgically (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Surgery for infective endocarditis in the pulmonary position (IEPP) is an effective method of treatment with excellent early outcome and good late results despite a very uncommon pathology and few operations being performed. Surgery performed earlier may make the procedure less radical.

Quadruple valve infective endocarditis presenting with suspected Austrian syndrome: a case report and a case series of quadruple valve infective endocarditis

OBJECTIVES

Austrian syndrome comprises the triad of pneumonia, meningitis, and endocarditis secondary to Streptococcus pneumonia. We present what we believe to be the first reported case of Austrian syndrome with quadruple heart valve involvement and review the literature detailing cases of quadruple valve infective endocarditis.

CASE PRESENTATION AND RESULTS

A case is presented of a patient with radiographic evidence of a left lower lobe pneumonia. Sequential transthoracic followed by transesophageal echocardiogram done to evaluate the presence of a cardiac murmur revealed the presence of quadruple valve vegetations. Multiple blood cultures were persistently negative. The patient went on to develop seizures secondary to proven meningitis. Microbiological diagnosis was eventually established through positive Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen (Alere BinaxNOW®) from cerebrospinal fluid, establishing a presumptive clinical diagnosis of Austrian syndrome. A computerized PubMed search for reports of quadruple valve infective endocarditis and their references was collated. A total of 22 patients were found, including our patient. The median age of presentation was 47.5 years. Five patients had a history of intravenous drug abuse, another 5 had underlying congenital heart disease, and 1 had both. Two patients (9.1%) had 2 microorganisms isolated. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus viridans (3 cases, 13.6% each) were the most commonly implicated microorganism. Heart failure was the commonest complication, afflicting 11 patients (50.0%). Ten patients (45.5%) underwent surgery. Overall case fatality rate was 50.0%. Cardiac surgery was of statistical significance in predicting survival (P = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Quadruple valve endocarditis is associated with a high mortality rate, and cardiac surgery may be protective.

Quadruple-valve infective endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva

Quadruple-valve endocarditis is a challenging condition, for which there is limited treatment experience and poor overall survival. We report the first case caused by Abiotrophia defectiva that has been surgically treated both with the replacement of the aortic and pulmonary valves and the repair of the mitral and tricuspid valves with a good outcome. The patient's clinical course is described and a review of literature on this rare causative agent is given.

Short-term Outcome of Patients with Infective Endocarditis: A Single-center Prospective Study

Objectives:

To investigate the short-term outcome of patients with infective endocarditis (IE).

Patients and Methods:

We analyzed data from 42 patients with active endocarditis which underwent different cardiac surgeries. An active endocarditis was considered due to urine analysis and/or blood culture and acute inflammation Gram stains of sample tissue and/or blood culture and acute inflammation Gram stains of sample tissue.

Design:

Collecting data of 42 patients prospectively.

Setting:

University hospital single center.

Participants:

Patients with IE from July 2014 to June 2016.

Interventions:

None.

Measurement and Main Results:

We collected data of 42 patients in Imam Hospital which is a university-based 1700-bed center. Twelve patients experienced a redo operation; in which, 2 of them have had the second redo. Five patients underwent an aortic valve replacement operation, 2 mitral valve repair, and only one patient had experienced a subaortic web resection. Seven cases were addict; in which, 5 of them were intravenous abusers. There was 1 porphyric patient which suffered from pethidine reliability. Most of our cases underwent Bentall or tricuspid valve repair operation, and multivalve operation was more scarce.

Conclusions:

We have presented the therapeutic strategies and outcome of patients with IE and evaluated their short-term outcome.

Complete Atrioventricular Block Complicating Mitral Infective Endocarditis Caused by Streptococcus Agalactiae

Patient: Male, 74

Final Diagnosis: Infective endocarditis

Symptoms: Apetite loss • fever

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Transesophageal echocardiography

Specialty: Cardiology

Single and multiple valve surgery in native valve infective endocarditis

Background

Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) remains a challenge, especially in cases of multiple valve surgery. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of native valve IE and compared the outcomes of single valve surgery with those of multiple valve surgery.

Materials and Methods

From 1997 to 2011, 90 patients underwent surgery for native valve IE; 67 patients with single valve surgery (single valve group) and 23 patients with multiple valve surgery (multiple valve group). The mean follow-up duration was 73.1±47.4 months.

Results

The surgical mortality in the total cohort was 4.4%. The overall survival (p=0.913) and valve-related event-free survival (p=0.204) did not differ between the two groups. The independent predictor of postoperative complications was New York Heart Association class (p=0.001). Multiple valve surgery was not a significant predictor of surgical mortality (p=0.225) or late mortality (p=0.936). Uncontrolled infection, urgent or emergency surgery, and postoperative complications were identified as independent predictors of valve-related morbidity, excluding multiple valve surgery (p=0.072).

Conclusion

In native valve IE, multiple valve surgery as a factor was not an independent predictor of mortality and morbidity. The number of surgically corrected valves in native IE seems to be unrelated to perioperative and long-term outcomes.

Clinical and microbiologic features of multivalvular endocarditis

Multivalvular endocarditis accounts for 15% of all endocarditis. The mechanisms of spread of the infection differs whether endocarditis is only left-sided (involving both the mitral and aortic valves) or bilateral. In left-sided bivalvular endocarditis, it is often a secondary mitral lesion following a primary aortic endocarditis. Multivalvular endocarditis often results in severe and extensive cardiac lesions, well described at echocardiography and frequently responsible for severe heart failure. Patients often need surgery, which consists of radical debridement of all the infected tissue with reconstruction using different types of prostheses; therefore, the surgery may be very complex. The goal should be an early diagnosis of endocarditis to avoid spread of the infection to more than one valve, to improve the prognosis for those patients.

Effect of electrical stimulus parameters on the development and propagation of action potentials in short excitable fibres

Intracellular action potentials (IAPs) produced by short fibres in response to their electrical stimulation were analysed. IAPs were calculated on the basis of the Hodgkin-Huxley (1952) model by the method described by Joyner et al. (1978). Principal differences were found in processes of activation of short (semilength L less than 5 lambda) and long fibres under near-threshold stimulation. The shorter the fibre, the lower was the threshold value (Ithr). Dependence of the latency on the stimulus strength (Ist) was substantially non-linear and was affected by the fibre length. Both fibre length and stimulus strength influenced the IAP amplitude, the instantaneous propagation velocity (IPV) and the site of the first origin of the IAP (and, consequently, excitability of the short fibre membrane). With L less than or equal to 2 lambda and Ithr less than or equal to Ist less than or equal to 1.1Ithr, IPV could reach either very high values (so that all the fibre membrane fired practically simultaneously) or even negative values. The latter corresponded to the first origin of the propagated IAP, not at the site of stimulation but at the fibre termination or at a midpoint. The characters of all the above dependencies were unchanged irrespective of the manner of approaching threshold (variation of stimulus duration or its strength). Reasons for differences in processes of activation of short and long fibres are discussed in terms of electrical load and latency. Applications of the results to explain an increased jitter, velocity recovery function and velocity-diameter relationship are also discussed.