Multimodality Imaging of the Mitral Paravalvular Abscess Cavity with Left Ventriculo-atrial Fistula

Abstract

Paravalvular complications may occur in patients with infective endocarditis. Paravalvular abscess formation rarely occurs and if so it generally involves the aortic valve. Herein we present a case of left ventriculo-atrial fistula formation through mitral paravalvular abscess cavity shown by multimodality imaging including two- and real-time three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (RT 3-D TEE), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and ventriculography in a patient with a mechanical prosthetic mitral valve. This is the first case in the literature of a mechanical prosthetic mitral valve complicated by a left ventriculo-atrial fistula formation in a healed abscess cavity that is demonstrated with RT-3D TEE, cardiac MRI and MSCT. (Heart, Lung and Circulation 2012;21:284-286) (C) 2012 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.