Leaflet escape of a mitral Duromedics prosthesis. Case report.
Deuvaert FE, Devriendt J, Massaut J, Van Nooten G, De Paepe J, Primo G.
Service of Cardiac Surgery, Hôpital Universitaire Brugmann, ULB, Brussels, Belgium.
This article reports a case of leaflet embolization of a mitral Edwards-Duromedics prosthesis. The patient had abrupt onset of acute pulmonary edema and was initially treated medically for 3 days. Fluoroscopy showed only one freely moving leaflet and the other was (incorrectly) assumed to be blocked in the closed position. The patient received IV thrombolysis for another 3 days and was finally operated. He died 8 days later from sepsis and the leaflet was recovered at autopsy in the abdominal aorta. Leaflet escape of a mitral Edwards-Duromedics prosthesis is a rare, potentially curable mode of valve failure. Correct interpretation of clinical signs and symptoms and of fluoroscopy should allow early diagnosis and surgical therapy.
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PMID: 2718682 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]