Cosson S, Kevorkian JP, Milliez P, Beaufils P, Cohen A. A rare localization in right-sided endocarditis diagnosed by echocardiography: a case report.
Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2003;
1:10. [PMID:
12952545 PMCID:
PMC194433 DOI:
10.1186/1476-7120-1-10]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2003] [Accepted: 08/14/2003] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Right-sided endocarditis occurs predominantly in intravenous drug users, patients with pacemakers or central venous lines and with congenital heart diseases. The vast majority of cases involve the tricuspid valve.
CASE PRESENTATION
A case of a 31-year-old woman with intravenous drug abuse who had a right-sided vegetation attached to the muscular bundle of the right ventricle is presented. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a vegetation in the right ventricular outflow tract. Transesophageal echocardiography clearly showed that the 1.8 cm vegetation was not adherent to the pulmonary valve but attached to a muscular bundle.
CONCLUSIONS
Our case points to an unusual location of right-sided endocarditis in intravenous drug users. It confirms that TTE remains an easy and highly sensitive first-line examination for the diagnosis of right-sided endocarditis.
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