[Complicated transcatheter aortic-valve endocarditis with abscess and pseudoaneurysm: Value of the ECG-gated multidetector computed tomography angiography]

Ann Cardiol Angeiol (Paris). 2017 Nov;66(5):338-342. doi: 10.1016/j.ancard.2017.09.007. Epub 2017 Oct 16.
[Article in French]

Abstract

A 80-year-old man was admitted to catheterization room for an acute infero-lateral ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Coronary angiography showed a thrombotic occlusion of the second left marginal branch, and normal other coronary arteries. The thrombo-embolic mechanism of the STEMI, and the infectious context in this patient who had had a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) two months earlier, led us to suspect a bioprosthesis endocarditis. It was confirmed by transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography, which showed an aortic-mitral curtain abscess and aortic bioprosthesis vegetations, associated to Enterococcus faecalis bacteriemia. In order to specify the diagnosis, an ECG-gated multidetector CT angiography (MDCTA) had been performed. Additionally to echocardiographic findings, MDCTA showed a pseudo-aneurysm, sized 20 to 22mm, beginning from the outflow tract of the left ventricle to end on the antero-lateral face of the aorta. The patient was referred for emergency aortic bioprosthesis removal and replacement. Through this case, MDCTA showed its importance for the diagnosis and the prognostic evaluation of cardiac prosthesis endocarditis. MDCTA provided additional informations that echocardiography could not detect, because of artifacts caused by the prosthetic material and calcifications, frequent in elderly patients with comorbidities.

Keywords: (ECG)-gated multidetector CT angiography; Bioprosthesis; Bioprothèse; Endocardite; Endocarditis; Pseudo-aneurysm; Pseudo-anévrysme; Scanner cardiaque; TAVI.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abscess / diagnosis*
  • Abscess / etiology
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aneurysm, False / diagnosis*
  • Aneurysm, False / etiology
  • Angiography / methods*
  • Aortic Valve / surgery*
  • Electrocardiography*
  • Enterococcus faecalis*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnosis*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / etiology
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Multidetector Computed Tomography*
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / diagnosis*
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / etiology
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement