Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2023 | Aortic Valve Replacement | Case Report
Infective endocarditis of quadricuspid aortic valve
Published in: Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery | Issue 1/2023
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Background
Infective endocarditis of the aortic valve is a relatively common disease presentation, with surgical intervention a mainstay of treatment in severe cases. Quadricuspid aortic valves are a rare spontaneous developmental anomaly that are more likely to be asymptomatic, and less likely to require a full valve replacement than their hypocuspid counterparts. However, there is very little literature addressing infective endocarditis of this valve variant.
Case presentation
This case report presents a case of infective endocarditis of a quadricuspid aortic valve that required replacement with a surgical bioprosthetic valve. The patient is a 30 year old male with a history of polysubstance use, upper extremity aneurysm, and prior tricuspid valve endocarditis. Surgical aortic valve replacement was performed with a 25 mm tissue valve via median sternotomy.
Conclusions
The patient made a full recovery after surgical aortic valve replacement and a course of antibiotics and was discharged home without any complications. This supports that surgical aortic valve replacement is feasible and safe in patients with polycuspid aortic valve endocarditis.