Pulmonary Stenosis as a Predisposing Factor for Infective Endocarditis in a Patient with Noonan Syndrome

Abstract

Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant dysmorphic syndrome. Pulmonary stenosis is the most common cardiac anomaly in Noonan patients, with an incidence of 60%. A 9-year-old girl was referred to Our institution with pericardial effusion. Transthoracic echocardiography indeed confirmed massive pericardial effusion and revealed, further, valvular and arterial pulmonary vegetations that accompanied a dysplastic tricuspid pulmonary valve. We decided to perform emergency pericardial tube drainage and to continue the antibiotic regimen for 2 more weeks before undertaking open-heart surgery. After 2 weeks, the patient underwent an operation wherein the valvular vegetations were excised and a Pulmonary valve commissurotomy was performed, yielding a competent pulmonary valve with 3 distinct but moderately dysplastic cusps. In addition to the pulmonary valve, the main, left, and right Pulmonary arteries were filled with mobile vegetations, which were removed during the procedure.