Abstract
A case of infective endocarditis involving the vestigial eustachian valve is presented and the available English medical literature is reviewed. Only 5 prior cases have been reported: 4 of those required transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis, and the other was found at autopsy. This clinical entity is routinely missed on transthoracic echocardiography. Injection drug use is a common predisposing factor, and Staphylococcus aureus is the most commonly identified organism. This report broadens the differential diagnosis of endovascufar infections in injection drug users and highlights the importance of transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis in selected patients.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 57-59 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Texas Heart Institute Journal |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Echocardiography, transesophageal
- Endocarditis, bacterial/complications/etiology/ultrasonography
- Heart valve diseases/etiology
- Predictive value of tests
- Staphylococcal infections/etiology/complications
- Substance abuse, intravenous/complications
- Tricuspid valve
- Vena cava, inferior/anatomy & histology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine