Tricuspid endocarditis related to a residual ventricular septal defect: a case report of successful tricuspid valvuloplasty

A 5-year-old girl presented infected tricuspid valve related to a residual ventricular septal defect. Antibiotic therapy produced a satisfactory initial improvement. However, subsequent deterioration with uncontrolled infection, in spite of alterations of the antibiotic regime, necessitated surgical intervention. Because the lesion was localized to the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve, partial excision of this leaflet and patch was undergone with a sustained clinical improvement with minimum residual valvular incompetence. This experience supports the concept that tricuspid valvuloplasty is the method of choice in the treatment of patient with regional right-sided infective endocarditis.