Surgical pathology of the pulmonary valve: a study of 116 cases spanning 15 years

Native pulmonary valve massive endocarditis in a drug-addicted patients with Covid-19 pneumonia: a case report

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary valve (PV) infective endocarditis is a rare pathology. Association between acute endocarditis and Covid pneumonia is equally poorly investigated.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present the case of a 50-year-old male active drug-abuser admitted for native PV endocarditis with huge and mobile vegetations and a concomitant interstitial SARS-Cov2 pneumonia. Surgical timing was carefully evaluated, and the patient was first treated with Remdesivir to prevent ARDS evolution. After 5 days he underwent PV replacement with bioprosthesis via patch enlargement of RVOT and a tricuspid valve De-Vega annuloplasty. The postoperative course was uneventful with complete resolution of sepsis and viremia.

CONCLUSIONS

The association between infective endocarditis and Covid pneumonia is emerging in the recent months. The reorganization in cardiac surgery hub centers resulted in an increase of urgencies referral, with consequent relative observation of some pathologies (i.e., endocarditis). The widespread administration of antibiotics and corticosteroids during the first phase of the pandemic could have contributed to the development of a moderate immunodepression of the general population and, during the pandemic, patients have been reluctant to access to hospital care, and this diagnostic delay could contribute to misdiagnosis or late presentation. We believe that in the present case, the strategy of immediate viral and respiratory stabilization, followed by a timely surgical procedure, allowed an excellent outcome in a very complicated situation.

Spectrum of pulmonary valve morphology and its relationship to pulmonary trunk in tetralogy of Fallot

BACKGROUND

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a complex congenital heart disease with anatomic variations. Although the pulmonary valve in TOF is abnormal, it has not been studied well, especially on newer imaging modalities such as multidetector computed tomography (CT), which gives excellent anatomic detail.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the morphology of pulmonary valve in TOF on CT and evaluate its association with the degree of hypoplasia of infundibulum and pulmonary trunk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cardiac CT scans of 30 patients with TOF were reviewed to evaluate the morphology of the pulmonary valve, infundibulum, and pulmonary arteries. Fisher's exact test was performed to examine the association between pulmonary valve morphology and degree of hypoplasia of the infundibulum and pulmonary trunk.

RESULTS

16.7% of patients with TOF had pulmonary atresia. The prevalence of tricuspid, bicuspid, and absent valves were 10%, 53.3% and 6.7%, respectively. In another 13.3% of patients, although valve tissue was present, exact morphology could not be determined on CT. The commissures of 62.5% of the bicuspid valves were at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock or slightly off the midline. There was statistically significant association between valve morphology and degree of infundibular hypoplasia (P < 0.001) and calibre of pulmonary trunk (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Morphological abnormality of the pulmonary valve is common in TOF. The most common type of pulmonary valve in TOF patients is bicuspid valve with commissures at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock or slightly off the midline. Fewer cusps of the pulmonary valve are associated with a more severe degree of pulmonary artery hypoplasia.

Tricuspid and Pulmonic Valve Pathology

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review describes the normal structure and pathologic changes that affect the right-sided cardiac valves and chambers.

RECENT FINDINGS

The anatomy and pathology described have been known for many years. Knowledge of these findings has gained relevance. The pattern of endocarditis is changing. New diagnostic techniques have allowed better characterization of lesions responsible for cardiac dysfunction. Novel, less invasive interventions have made recognition of abnormalities more clinically relevant. There are many different pathologic entities that can affect the right-sided cardiac valves. These are discussed in this review.

Pulmonary Valve Morphology in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valves

The aortic and pulmonary valve share a common developmental origin from the embryonic arterial trunk. Bicuspid aortic valve is the most common congenital anomaly and can occur isolated as well as in association with other congenital heart disease (CHD). Data on pulmonary valve morphology in these cases are scarce. In this study, we aimed to determine pulmonary valve morphology in hearts with BAV associated with CHD. In 83 post-mortem heart specimens with BAV and associated CHD, pulmonary valve morphology was studied and related to BAV morphology. In 14/83 (17%) hearts, the pulmonary valve was affected, bicuspid in 8/83 (10%), dome-shaped in 3/83 (4%) and atretic in 3/83 (4%). In specimens with a bicuspid pulmonary valve, 5/8 (63%) had a strictly bicuspid aortic valve (without raphe), 2/3 hearts (67%) with dome-shaped pulmonary valves and 2/3 hearts (67%) with atretic pulmonary valves had BAV without raphe. Six out of eight (75%) specimens with a bicuspid pulmonary valve had a perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD). 4/8 (50%) specimens with a bicuspid pulmonary valve were associated with chromosomal abnormalities: 3 (38%) had trisomy 18 and 1 (13%) had trisomy 13. In BAV with associated CHD, abnormal pulmonary valve morphology was observed in 17% of the hearts. The majority of hearts with abnormal pulmonary valve morphology had a Type B bicuspid aortic valve (without raphe). Bilateral semilunar valvular disease is associated with Type B BAVs and in many cases related to chromosomal abnormalities. As this study was performed in post-mortem specimens with high frequency of associated CHD, caution is warranted with application of these results to the general BAV population.

Intimal spindle cell sarcoma masquerading as adult-onset symptomatic pulmonic stenosis: a case report and review of the literature

Background

Pulmonary artery intimal spindle cell sarcomas are rare and carry with them a poor prognosis and high rate of recurrence. In extremely rare cases, this tumor can infiltrate the pulmonic valve and manifest as adult-onset pulmonic stenosis.

Case presentation

We report an unusual case of a patient with symptomatic, adult-onset severe pulmonic stenosis who was referred for possible balloon valvuloplasty but was subsequently found to have pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma infiltrating the pulmonary valve leading to progressive exertional dyspnea.

Conclusion

The presence of adult-onset pulmonic stenosis should prompt the clinician to investigate further as most cases of pulmonic stenosis are congenital in nature and present early in life. Careful diagnostic evaluation in concert with multimodal imaging should take place to arrive at the correct and challenging diagnosis of sarcoma-induced adult-onset severe pulmonic stenosis. Given the poor prognosis and rapid progression of disease, early diagnosis is crucial.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13019-017-0654-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Infective Endocarditis Involving the Pulmonary Valve

Pulmonary valve (PV) infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare entity, accounting for 1.5% to 2% of cases of IE. Published data are limited to a few case series and reports. We sought to review the Mayo Clinic experience and describe clinical, echocardiographic, and microbiologic features. We included all patients aged ≥18 years seen from 2000 to 2014 who had a diagnosis of native PV IE and unequivocal echocardiographic involvement of the PV. Nine patients with PV IE were identified. Isolated PV IE was present in 7 (78%) of 9 cases. The median age was 59 years and 22% were women. Three patients had congenital heart disease, 2 had central venous catheters, and 3 had cardiovascular implantable electronic devices. Five patients (56%) received chronic immunosuppressive therapy. Enterococcus faecalis and viridans group streptococci were the most common pathogens, isolated in 22% of cases each. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) were done in 6 and 7 patients, respectively. Four patients underwent both procedures. TTE was diagnostic in all cases, but TEE failed to detect PV involvement in 1 patient. Median follow-up was 1.8 years. Five patients (56%) underwent PV replacement. There were no operative deaths. One patient had sudden death during follow-up, unrelated to his PV IE episode. Our results suggest that PV IE is rare but carries significant morbidity. TTE and TEE provide complementary information with TEE providing better visualization of other cardiac structures. Our findings of a high prevalence of immunosuppressive therapy and cardiovascular implantable electronic devices have not been previously reported and deserve further investigation.

Coexisting bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves with normally related great vessels diagnosed by live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography

Coexistence of bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves in the same patient is a very rare entity identified mainly during surgery and postmortem. To the best of our knowledge, only one case has been diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography in a newborn with malposition of the great arteries but no images were presented. Here, we are reporting the first case of bicuspid pulmonary and aortic valves diagnosed by live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in an adult with normally related great arteries.

Prosthetic reconstruction of bicuspid pulmonary valve in tetralogy of Fallot

BACKGROUND

Various techniques have been described for preserving pulmonary valve function in tetralogy of Fallot repair. In selected substrates, the pulmonary valve can be bicuspidized and preserved using polytetrafluoroethylene pericardial membrane.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective review of 20 patients aged 11 months to 31 years with tetralogy of Fallot and a bicuspid pulmonary valve (with anteroposterior cusps) who underwent intracardiac repair from August 2010 to January 2013. The anterior cusp was augmented using polytetrafluoroethylene pericardial membrane to preserve the valve hinge. A transannular patch was used in all cases. Data relating to surgical outcome, intensive care unit course, pulmonary regurgitation, and right ventricular outflow tract gradient were collected.

RESULTS

There was no mortality. Predischarge pulmonary regurgitation was ≤grade 2 in 18 (90%) patients. One patient had an outflow gradient >40 mm Hg. On follow-up of 3-24 months, there was no increase in outflow gradient; 18.7% had progression of pulmonary regurgitation.

CONCLUSION

In selected substrates, this technique is associated with minimization of pulmonary regurgitation and an excellent functional outcome. The utility of this technique needs to be validated over a longer time scale in a larger series.

Surgical pathology of carcinoid heart disease: a study of 139 valves from 75 patients spanning 20 years

OBJECTIVE

To quantitate the pathologic features of carcinoid plaques in a relatively large number of surgical specimens from a single institution.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Medical records, operative reports, and surgical specimens were reviewed from all patients with carcinoid heart disease who underwent cardiac valvular surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, between 1980 and 2000.

RESULTS

The study group included 75 patients (45 men, 30 women) who ranged in age from 26 to 78 years (mean, 59 years). From these 75 patients, 139 valves had been excised surgically (73 tricuspid, 55 pulmonary, 6 mitral, 5 aortic). Pure regurgitation was the most common dysfunctional state of the tricuspid valve (80% [60/75]), mitral valve (97% [32/33]), and aortic valve (96% [23/24]). The pulmonary valve was more often both stenotic and insufficient (52% [37/71]) than purely regurgitant (30% [21/71]). In all cases, valve dysfunction was attributed to the presence of carcinoid plaques, which caused both thickening and retraction. Thickening was the result of both cellular proliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix. Proliferation of myofibroblasts was observed in all plaques and was mild in 49% (68/139) and moderate or severe in 51% (71/139). Extracellular matrix included collagen (in 99% of the 139 valves), myxoid ground substance (98% [136/139]), and elastin (20% [28/139]). Carcinoid plaques were also involved by neovascularization (94% [131/139]), chronic inflammation (94% [131/139]), and mast cell infiltration (64% [89/139]). Severe thickening was attributable primarily to collagen deposition in tricuspid valves and to myofibroblast proliferation and myxoid matrix in pulmonary valves.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients undergoing valvular surgery for carcinoid heart disease, tricuspid and pulmonary valves represented 92% of the excised valves (128/ 139). Although numerous cellular and extracellular features were common to the carcinoid plaques, variability in their relative expression produced appreciable differences in the histologic appearance among the plaques.

The prevalence of bifoliate pulmonary valves

A BIFOLIATE CONDITION OF THE PULMONARY: valve may occur as an isolated phenomenon in otherwise normal hearts or in association with other anomalies in congenitally malformed hearts. The former condition is very rare, whereas the latter condition is quite common.

Congenitally bicuspid aortic valves: a surgical pathology study of 542 cases (1991 through 1996) and a literature review of 2,715 additional cases

OBJECTIVE

To describe a clinicopathologic study of a large group of congenitally bicuspid aortic valves surgically excised at a single institution.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The medical charts and bicuspid valves from patients undergoing aortic valve replacement at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 1991 and 1996 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

The age of the 542 patients ranged from 1 to 86 years (mean, 61), and 372 (69%) were men. Among these, 409 (75%) had pure aortic stenosis (AS), 73 (13%) had pure aortic insufficiency (regurgitation) (AI), 53 (10%) had combined AS and AI, and 7 (1%) had normal function. The mean age was higher for those with AS than AI (65 versus 46 years; P < 0.001), whereas the male-to-female ratio was higher for AI than AS (17.3:1 versus 1.7:1; P < 0.001). The two cusps were not equal in size in 95%, and a raphe was present in 76% (67% typical, 9% atypical). Raphal position was described in 315 and was between the right and left cusps in 270 (86%). Raphal absence occurred more often in valves with equal-sized cusps than unequal (33% versus 14%; P = 0.005). Moderate to severe calcification affected valves with AS more frequently than AI (99% versus 41%; P < 0.001). In contrast, annular dilatation was associated with AI more than AS (48% versus 11%; P < 0.001). Acquired commissural fusion involved valves with combined AS and AI more often than the other functional states (31% versus 14%; P = 0.002). Sixteen patients (age range, 18 to 78 years; 13 men) had infective endocarditis (6 active, 10 healed), including 10 with AI (9 men), 3 with AS plus AI, 2 with AS, and 1 with normal function but embolization.

CONCLUSION

Functionally, the most common fate of congenitally bicuspid aortic valves was calcific stenosis with or without regurgitation (85%). Because approximately 4 million US citizens have bicuspid valves and because valve replacement is currently the only treatment of symptomatic AS, this disorder will continue to affect health-care costs.

Pathology of pulmonic valve stenosis and pure regurgitation

Little morphologic information is available on operatively excised pulmonic valves. The causes of pulmonic stenosis are limited to a few conditions: (1) rheumatic and (2) nonrheumatic (congenital, carcinoid, infective endocarditis). Congenital causes of pulmonic stenosis constitute well over 95% of these conditions. Congenital types of pulmonic stenosis include acommissural dome-shaped, dysplastic, and bicuspid. Rare acquired causes of pulmonic stenosis include carcinoid, rheumatic, and infective endocarditis. Of the acquired causes of pulmonic stenosis, carcinoid is the most common condition. In contrast, causes of pure pulmonic regurgitation are multiple. Two major categories of pure pulmonic regurgitation include (1) conditions associated with anatomically abnormal valve cusps (congenital, rheumatic, carcinoid, trauma, and infective endocarditis) and (2) conditions associated with anatomically normal cusps (elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressures, idiopathic dilated pulmonary trunk, and Marfan's syndrome).