Pregnancy in 20 patients with bioprosthetic valve replacement

We studied twenty women who became pregnant after porcine bioprosthetic valve replacement. Six patients had aortic valve, seven mitral, and seven aortic plus mitral valve replacement. All women were treated with aspirin (1 g daily or 500 mg every 48 hours) during pregnancy, delivery, and the postdelivery period. Thirteen patients experienced atrial fibrillation. There were 27 pregnancies with three ending in abortion. Twenty five normal babies were delivered. There was no maternal mortality or morbidity from thromboembolism or hemorrhage. Comparison of the pregnancy course of these women and the general population shows no difference with respect to fetal or maternal morbidity and mortality. Pregnant women with bioprosthetic valve replacement treated with aspirin had normal pregnancies without the risk of thromboembolism. Fetal and perinatal morbidity and mortality was also within normal limits.     

Pregnancy in patients after valve replacement.

This report is based on information obtained from a questionnaire sent to major cardiac centres in the United Kingdom. This produced details of 39 pregnancies in 34 patients after valve replacement. The 39 pregnancies gave rise to 30 healthy babies. The small size of the series probably reflects both the increasing rarity of young women with rheumatic heart disease in this country and the cautious attitude of their cardiologists. This makes it likely that these women represented the best end of the spectrum of cardiac function after valve replacement. Twenty-four pregnancies in 20 women who were not given anticoagulants producted 23 healthy babies and 1 spontaneous abortion. This group comprised 6 patients with free aortic homografts, 1 patient with a fascia lata mitral valve, 1 with a Beall tricuspid prosthesis, 1 with a combined mitral homograft and Starr Edwards aortic prosthesis, and 1 with mitral and aortic frame-mounted fascia lata valves. There were no maternal deaths or thromboembolic complications in this group which included 5 patients who were in atrial fibrillation. Fifteen pregnancies in 14 women who received anticoagulants gave rise to 7 healthy babies. The fetal losses were one stillbirth, one intrauterine death at 34 weeks, and 3 spontaneous abortions; one surviving child has hydrocephalus as a result of blood clot and there were 2 maternal deaths. This group included 13 patients with Starr Edwards valves, 11 mitral and 2 aortic. A patient with a Hammersmith mitral valve was the only one to have been treated with heparin and her valve thrombosed. One patient with a mounted mitral homograft had a cerebral embolus. Nine of these patients were in atrial fibrillation. In 3 additional patients the valve replacement was carried out during pregnancy. Two of the patients survived operation. In one of these who was treated with warfarin the pregnancy well, but there is an increased fetal wastage in patients pregnancy gave rise to a congenitally malformed baby who died in the neonatal period. The baby born to the mother who did not receive anticoagulants has a hare-lip and talipes. Women with artificial valves can tolerate the haemodynamic load of pregnancy well, but there is an increased fetal wastage in patients taking oral anticoagulants. This is probably largely attributable to fetal haemorrhage but there is also a risk of malformation caused by a teratogenic effect of warfarin. Experience gained in non-pregnant patients suggests that withholding anticoagulatns in pregnant patients with prosthetic valves would usually be undersirable but warfarin should be avoided. The advantages of biological valves were apparent in this series.     

Calcific stenosis of a mitral valve xenograft in a patient in chronic renal failure

A 61 year old man presented with mitral regurgitation and glomerulonephritis caused by suspected infective endocarditis. His glomerulonephritis remitted on immunosuppression but mitral valve replacement with a Carpentier-Edwards porcine xenograft later proved necessary. The patient became dialysis dependent and cadaveric renal allografting was complicated by delayed graft function and refractory pulmonary oedema. Cardiac catheterisation showed severe calcification and stenosis of the xenograft with a transvalvar gradient of 23 mm Hg and despite emergency valve replacement the patient died. The valve had been in place less than five years. The rapid calcification and stenosis of a bioprosthetic heart valve calls into question the use of such prostheses in patients with chronic renal failure.     

Calcific stenosis of a mitral valve xenograft in a patient in chronic renal failure.

A 61 year old man presented with mitral regurgitation and glomerulonephritis caused by suspected infective endocarditis. His glomerulonephritis remitted on immunosuppression but mitral valve replacement with a Carpentier-Edwards porcine xenograft later proved necessary. The patient became dialysis dependent and cadaveric renal allografting was complicated by delayed graft function and refractory pulmonary oedema. Cardiac catheterisation showed severe calcification and stenosis of the xenograft with a transvalvar gradient of 23 mm Hg and despite emergency valve replacement the patient died. The valve had been in place less than five years. The rapid calcification and stenosis of a bioprosthetic heart valve calls into question the use of such prostheses in patients with chronic renal failure.     

Cardiac valve prostheses, anticoagulation, and pregnancy.

The course of 76 pregnancies is reported in 51 women who became pregnant after replacement of one or more heart valves. Age at conception ranged from 17 to 39 years (mean 25). There have been 71 deliveries and five women are still pregnant at the time of writing. In the 71 pregnancies, oral anticoagulants were given during 53, heparin during five, and no anticoagulants during 13. Fetal complications consisted of 12 spontaneous abortions (eight in pregnancies in which oral anticoagulants were given, three in which heparin was given, and one in which no anticoagulants were given), of 12 premature deliveries with seven stillbirths (three on oral anticoagulants and four without anticoagulants), and there were three neonatal deaths (in all all three instances oral anticoagulants had been given during pregnancy). The maternal complications were as follows. Two women with mitral valve prostheses on heparin had thromboembolic episodes. Four women on oral anticoagulants died and 11 developed haemorrhage or systemic embolism. Two of the deaths were caused by bacterial endocarditis, one was the result of obstruction of a mitral valve prosthesis, and one was due to haemorrhage. One patient developed pulmonary oedema during delivery which rapidly resolved. Seven patients had uterine bleeding after delivery (three of them were on heparin and one was on an antiplatelet agent).     

Cardiac valve prostheses, anticoagulation, and pregnancy

The course of 76 pregnancies is reported in 51 women who became pregnant after replacement of one or more heart valves. Age at conception ranged from 17 to 39 years (mean 25). There have been 71 deliveries and five women are still pregnant at the time of writing. In the 71 pregnancies, oral anticoagulants were given during 53, heparin during five, and no anticoagulants during 13. Fetal complications consisted of 12 spontaneous abortions (eight in pregnancies in which oral anticoagulants were given, three in which heparin was given, and one in which no anticoagulants were given), of 12 premature deliveries with seven stillbirths (three on oral anticoagulants and four without anticoagulants), and there were three neonatal deaths (in all all three instances oral anticoagulants had been given during pregnancy). The maternal complications were as follows. Two women with mitral valve prostheses on heparin had thromboembolic episodes. Four women on oral anticoagulants died and 11 developed haemorrhage or systemic embolism. Two of the deaths were caused by bacterial endocarditis, one was the result of obstruction of a mitral valve prosthesis, and one was due to haemorrhage. One patient developed pulmonary oedema during delivery which rapidly resolved. Seven patients had uterine bleeding after delivery (three of them were on heparin and one was on an antiplatelet agent).     

Calcification of aortic versus mitral porcine bioprosthetic heart valves: a radiographic study comparing amounts of calcific deposits in valves explanted from the same patient

Calcium detected by radiography was compared in 10 pairs of aortic and mitral glutaraldehyde-treated porcine bioprosthetic heart valves explanted from 10 patients (7 men and 3 women), aged 19 to 68 years (mean 43). Both valves of 6 pairs of valves had undergone primary tissue failure (revealed by cardiac catheterization and angiography) and 1 valve of the other 4 pairs of valves had undergone primary tissue failure. These porcine valves had been implanted from 2 1/4 to 9 years (mean 5 3/4). All 20 explanted valves contained calcium. The grade of calcium was the same in 4 pairs of valves (grade 2+ or 3+), and 1 grade different in 4 pairs of valves (grade 1+ to 4+), with the greater calcium evenly divided between the 2 valve positions. There was more than 1 grade greater mitral valve calcium in 2 pairs of valves (grade 3+ and 4+ mitral vs 1+ and 2+ aortic, respectively). Thus, calcium is usually present in both aortic and mitral valve positions when bioprosthetic valves of this type in either valve position fail as a result of primary tissue failure, and radiographic calcium in porcine bioprosthetic valves is usually similar in grade in both the aortic and mitral valve positions.     

Calcification of a porcine valve xenograft during pregnancy--a case report and review of the literature

A 20-year-old woman required urgent replacement of a calcified prosthetic mitral porcine xenograft with a mechanical one during the 32nd week of pregnancy. Five weeks later the patient delivered a normal child. Following delivery the patient refused oral anticoagulant treatment and 7 months later she underwent emergency removal of a prosthetic valve thrombus. Six months later, still refusing anticoagulant treatment, she died of cerebral embolization. We suggest that the replacement of a degenerated biologic valve with another biologic valve should be considered in patients who refuse anticoagulant treatment and that patients with prosthetic xenografts should be kept under close medical follow-up, including echocardiography because of possible accelerated xenograft failure during and/or following pregnancy.     

猪瓣膜替换二尖瓣患者瓣膜功能失调18例分析

本文报道应用猪瓣膜替换二尖瓣后长期生存150例,其中已有18例因发(?)猪瓣膜功能失调而再次施行瓣膜替换术。18例患者有心悸、气急、疲劳和胸痛等症状。主要的诊断依据是出现新的杂音,超声心动图和多普勒检查发现瓣膜破损和反流。瓣膜损害是瓣叶钙化和严重纤维组织增生,其中7例有慢性感染。再次替换18例损破的猪瓣膜,应用机械瓣12个,弹性支架猪瓣6个,手术存活13例,死亡5例。     

A prospective evaluation of the Bj?rk-Shiley, Hancock, and Carpentier-Edwards heart valve prostheses

From 1975 to 1979, 540 patients undergoing valve replacement were entered into a randomized trial and received either a Bj?rk-Shiley (273 patients) or a porcine heterograft prosthesis (initially a Hancock valve [107 patients] and later a Carpentier-Edwards prosthesis [160 patients]). Two hundred and sixty-two patients required mitral valve replacement, 210 required aortic valve replacement, 60 required mitral and aortic valve replacement, and eight also required associated tricuspid valve replacement (six mitral valve replacement; two mitral plus aortic valve replacement). Analysis of 34 preoperative and operative variables showed the treatment groups to be well randomized. In-hospital mortality was not significantly different among patients receiving the three prostheses for aortic valve replacement (7.6% overall) and mitral plus aortic valve replacement (10% overall), but there was a higher in-hospital mortality for patients undergoing mitral valve replacement with the Carpentier-Edwards prosthesis (15.5% compared with 8.8% overall; p = .03). This difference could not be explained on the basis of any preoperative or operative variable. Median follow-up was 5.6 (range 2.8 to 8.3) years. Actuarial survival after mitral valve replacement was 56.7 +/- 7.0% at 7 years, that after aortic valve replacement was 69.6 +/- 9.6% at 7 years, and that after mitral plus aortic valve replacement was 62.5 +/- 20.0% at 7 years. There was no significant difference in actuarial survival of patients receiving the three prostheses within the mitral, aortic, and mitral plus aortic valve replacement groups, nor was there a difference when these groups were amalgamated. Thirty-seven patients required reoperation for valve failure (15 with Bj?rk-Shiley, 12 with Hancock, and 10 with Carpentier-Edwards valves; p = NS) and 11 died at reoperation (four with Bj?rk-Shiley, four with Hancock, and three with Carpentier-Edwards valves; overall operative mortality 29.7%). Up to 7 years after surgery, there was no significant difference in the incidence of thromboembolism in patients with different prostheses undergoing mitral or aortic valve replacement. There were too few patients undergoing mitral plus aortic valve replacement for meaningful comparison. There was no significant beneficial effect of anticoagulants in patients undergoing mitral or aortic valve replacement with porcine prostheses, but patients were not randomly allocated to anticoagulant treatment. All patients with Bj?rk-Shiley prostheses received anticoagulants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Risks and pregnancy outcome in women with prosthetic mechanical heart valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy after mechanical heart valve replacement is highly risky for both mother and child because of the aggravation of maternal heart function and adverse effects of anticoagulation therapy. In Japan, however, the risks and pregnancy outcomes in women with prosthetic mechanical heart valve replacement remain to be elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study 16 pregnancies in 12 women with prosthetic mechanical heart valve replacement were identified between 1983 and 2005. At 6-13 weeks of gestational age, warfarin, an anticoagulant agent, was changed to heparin and administration was continuously adjusted according to the activated partial thromboplastin time level up to the time of delivery. Major maternal complications and pregnancy outcomes were retrospectively investigated. The valve replaced was mitral (n=7), tricuspid (n=7), and aortic (n=2). Eight (50%) of 16 had cesarean live births. One case was delivered at full term, and 7 cases were delivered preterm (26-36 weeks) because of maternal indications. Two babies died in the neonatal period. Therapeutic abortion was performed in 3 cases, 4 cases ended in early miscarriage, and 1 case ended in intrauterine fetal death (30 weeks). Three mothers developed valve (mitral, tricuspid, aortic) thrombosis. There was 1 maternal death from heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy after mechanical heart valve replacement requires strict control of coagulation. Special attention should be paid to the occurrence of complications during anticoagulation therapy.     

复发性心脏瓣膜病再次外科治疗效果及其相关因素

目的:回顾性分析对二尖瓣闭式扩张术、瓣膜成形术、瓣周漏、人工机械瓣功能障碍、生物瓣衰坏等原因引起的复发性瓣膜病变进行再次手术的效果和相关因素。方法: 复发性瓣膜病患者331（男143,女188）例,年龄12～73(46±12)岁,两次手术间隔时间2月～25(17±8)年。其中二尖瓣闭式扩张术后再狭窄143例,二尖瓣或主动脉瓣成形术后瓣膜病变复发53例,生物瓣衰坏32例,瓣周漏26例,换瓣术后其它瓣膜病21例,人工瓣膜替换或瓣膜成形术后心内膜炎17例, Ebstein畸形矫治术后三尖瓣关闭不全15例,人工瓣膜机械功能故障9例,室间隔缺损修补术并行瓣膜成形术后心内膜炎7例,完全或部分性心内膜垫缺损和矫正性大动脉转位术后二尖瓣或三尖瓣关闭不全6 例,二尖瓣球囊扩张术2例。再次手术方式为二尖瓣替换术,主动脉瓣替换术,二尖瓣和主动脉瓣替换术,三尖瓣替换术,瓣周漏修补术及三尖瓣成形术等。结果: 全组共死亡27例,占8.2％,早期主要死亡原因为低心排出量综合征、室性心律失常、多脏器功能衰竭、左心室破裂、感染性心内膜炎、肾功能衰竭。随访259例,随访期6月～21（10±7）年,心功能恢复至Ⅰ～Ⅱ级189例。复发性心脏瓣膜病再次手术的危险因素包括术前心功能差、重要脏器功能不全、急诊手术、主动脉阻断时间和体外循环时间长等。结论: 针对再手术相关的危险因素进行积极防治,适时而妥善的外科手术和围手术期处理仍可获良好效果。     

生物瓣应用于老年心脏瓣膜置换术的临床总结

目的 探讨老年心脏瓣膜病患者应用生物瓣置换的价值.方法 对36例老年患者施行生物瓣膜置换术,其中行二尖瓣置换18例,主动脉瓣置换10例,二尖瓣及主动脉瓣置换8例;同期行三尖瓣成形术12例,冠脉搭桥术6例.结果 本组围手术期死亡2例.出院后随访1～48个月,心功能恢复至Ⅰ级9例、Ⅱ级21例、Ⅲ级2例.结论 老年患者应用生物瓣具有良好的耐久性,并可避免因抗凝治疗出现的各种并发症,临床应用值得推广。     

Experience with the selective use of the Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis

Between April, 1977, and November 1984, 136 porcine bioprosthetic valves were implanted in 122 patients principally selected on the basis of age and contraindication to anticoagulants. The following procedures were carried out: aortic valve replacement (AVR) 88, pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) 1, mitral valve replacement (MVR) 38, and tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) 9. The ages ranged from 25 to 84 years (mean 64.6 years). The 30-day mortality was 11.5% overall. Survivors were followed up to 7 years (mean 29.2 months). Actuarial survival rates at 5 years, including operative deaths, were as follows: AVR 76.2 +/- 9.3%, MVR 59.7 +/- 12.6% and combined valve replacement (CVR) 47.1 +/- 19.4%. The 5-year probability of freedom from valve-related complications was 76.8 +/- 6.9% for all patients. The rate of thromboembolic events was 3.80% per patient-year after AVR and 2.72% per patient-year after MVR and CVR. The embolic rate did not differ between patients treated with anticoagulants and those treated with platelet antiaggregators. Primary tissue valve failure occurred in 2 patients for a linear incidence of 0.77% per patient-year. Postoperative echocardiography was performed in 83% of the survivors. Patients are now prospectively followed up by bidimensional echography and pulsed Doppler in order to detect early valvular dysfunction. The performance of the Carpentier-Edwards porcine bioprosthesis is, thus, satisfactory in this group of elderly patients.     

Inhibition of cusp and aortic wall calcification in ethanol- and aluminum-treated bioprosthetic heart valves in sheep: background,mechanisms, and synergism

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Calcification of bioprosthetic heart valves fabricated from glutaraldehyde (GA)-pretreated heterograft tissue is frequently responsible for the clinical failure of these devices. Stentless bioprostheses fabricated from GA-fixed porcine aortic valves pose an important challenge in this regard, as pathologic calcification can affect not only the bioprosthetic cusps, but also the aortic wall segment. METHODS: A synergistic approach was used to prevent bioprosthetic cusp and aortic wall calcification. Ethanol pretreatment of bioprosthetic heart valves was shown to inhibit cuspal calcification due to multiple mechanisms, including alterations of collagen structure and lipid extraction. AlCl3 pretreatment of bioprostheses to prevent calcification was also investigated; this alters elastin structure, inhibits alkaline phosphatase, and complexes with phosphoesters, thereby inhibiting aortic wall mineralization. RESULTS: Experimental data from rat subdermal implants and sheep mitral replacements showed successful synergism with co-pretreatment of porcine aortic valve bioprostheses with ethanol and AlCl3. Significant inhibition of both cusp and aortic wall calcification was achieved by differential pretreatments that restrict AlCl3 to only the aortic wall, and not the cusp, accompanied by ethanol cuspal exposure. Sequential exposure of bioprostheses, first to AlCl3 and then to ethanol, led to unexpectedly severe cuspal calcification. CONCLUSION: Differential pretreatment of stentless bioprostheses with ethanol and AlCl3 can effectively inhibit both cuspal and aortic wall calcification.     

Outcome of pregnancy in women with valve prostheses.

OBJECTIVE--To study the outcome of pregnancy in women with artificial heart valves treated in major European centres, and to compare the safety and efficacy of different anticoagulant regimens and of mechanical and bioprosthetic valves. DESIGN--Retrospective study. METHOD--The information was obtained by questionnaire sent to all major cardiac centres in Europe sending one cardiologist from each centre a covering letter suggesting that the questionnaire be handed on where appropriate to the most relevant colleague. RESULTS--214 pregnancies were reported in 182 women; 151 pregnancies in 133 women with mechanical valves, and 63 pregnancies in 45 women with bioprostheses. Most women were in New York Heart Association class I or II and in sinus rhythm. 150 women with mechanical valves and 11 (17%) with bioprostheses received anticoagulants during pregnancy. One patient with an aortic valve prosthesis refused to take anticoagulants. Including the spontaneous abortions reported as well as the therapeutic abortions 83% of the pregnancies in women with bioprostheses and 73% in those with mechanical valves resulted in a healthy baby, full term or premature, who did well (NS). The incidence of stillbirths (3% and 6%) and of reported spontaneous abortions are excluded (because they are unlikely to have been fully reported), the success rate was 91% for women with bioprosthetic valves and 84% for women with mechanical valves (NS). 114 (53%) of the women had taken warfarin for some part of the pregnancy (46 (40%) of these during the first trimester) but there were no embryopathies. There were 13 valve thromboses (four fatal), eight embolic events (two fatal), and seven bleeds in women with mechanical valves. Most of these complications occurred with heparin but fatal aortic valve thrombosis occurred in the one woman who refused anticoagulant treatment out of the 151 women with mechanical valves. There were no maternal deaths in the bioprosthesis group but in 17/49 (35%) of these valves functional deterioration led to urgent replacement during pregnancy (two) or soon after. CONCLUSIONS--The outcome of pregnancy was similar for women with mechanical valves or bioprostheses. Warfarin treatment was safe and effective and was not associated with embryopathy. Heparin treatment was associated with more thromboembolic complications and more bleeding complications. Bioprostheses deteriorate rapidly during pregnancy.     

The third generation Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis: early results

The current status of valve replacement was reviewed by analyzing six groups of 100 consecutive patients, each receiving the standard Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis, the Starr-Edwards valve or the Bj?rk-Shiley valve in the mitral or aortic position and operated on by the same surgeons in the same institution during an identical time frame. Data were evaluated for valve failure, reoperation, thromboembolism and valve-related deaths. Long-term results up to 9 years showed the superiority of bioprostheses over mechanical valves in terms of valve-related deaths and thromboembolic and anticoagulant complications for a similar rate of valve failure. Persistent drawbacks associated with valvular bioprostheses, namely, transvalvular gradients, limited durability and tissue calcification in young patients, led to continual improvements in valve design and preservation techniques and the development of the third generation Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis: the supraanular porcine valve and pericardial valve. The supraanular porcine valve was designed with the aim of decreasing the transvalvular gradient, decreasing turbulence, increasing longevity and decreasing calcification. The pericardial valve was designed with the aim of improving hemodynamics in small-sized orifices, improving mounting techniques to avoid fixation sutures at the commissures, achieving a flexible stent and improving preservation. Between July 1980 and October 1984, there were 391 supraanular porcine and 61 pericardial valves implanted. The supraanular valves were used for three purposes: isolated aortic, isolated mitral and mitral valve replacement associated with tricuspid anuloplasty. The pericardial valves were used for isolated aortic valve replacement. Short-term results (1 to 4 years) are presented concerning the clinical use of these third generation bioprostheses.     

Effect of oral anticoagulant during pregnancy with prosthetic heart valve

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the risks and outcome of oral anticoagulant use during pregnancy in women with prosthetic heart valves. Between December 1989 and November 1998, 192 females of childbearing age underwent heart valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis. There were 37 pregnancies in 30 patients during follow-up. Pregnancy was terminated on medical grounds in 5 cases, there were 2 (6%) spontaneous abortions, and 1 (3%) premature birth of a normal baby who died 24 hours later due to asphyxia. The other 29 pregnancies (91%) went to full term and the mothers continued taking oral anticoagulants until a week before the expected date of delivery, then switched to heparin. There was no thromboembolism, valve thrombosis, or maternal mortality. Three babies (10%) had a skeletal deformity: nasal hypoplasia in all 3, with cleft pinna in 1. Continuation of oral anticoagulants during pregnancy provided adequate protection against thromboembolism and valve thrombosis, but the risks of fetal abnormalities and premature delivery should be explained to women of childbearing age with a mechanical valve prosthesis.     

Aortic valve replacement with bioprostheses in liver transplant recipients

Three cases of aortic valve replacement with porcine bioprostheses are reported in liver transplant recipients at two to six years after transplantation. Indications for aortic valve replacement (AVR) were aortic stenosis (n = 2) and aortic regurgitation (n = 1). The use of bioprostheses was recommended because of patient age, the need for multiple liver biopsies, and contraindication to the use of anticoagulation therapy. The patient who underwent AVR because of aortic regurgitation developed structural valve deterioration (SVD) during the next five years after surgery, and thus replacement of the bioprosthetic valve was required. Recipients of liver transplant who undergo valve replacement with tissue valves should be carefully followed up because of the risk of early SVD. AVR may be performed safely after liver transplantation.     

Echocardiographic and clinical correlations in infectious endocarditis of the left heart

The echocardiographic features were correlated with the clinical findings and outcome in 35 patients with aortic and/or mitral valve endocarditis. There were 26 males and 9 females with a mean age of 38 years. The infection involved native valves in 27 patients and prosthetic valves in 8 patients. Echocardiographically, fourteen patients had involvement of native aortic valve. All patients in this group required surgical intervention, nine patients during antimicrobial therapy. Congestive heart failure was the clinical indication for valvular replacement. A patient died immediately after surgery from low cardiac output syndrome. Six patients had echocardiographic evidence of aortic and mitral valves involvement. A patient in this group expired before surgery, five underwent surgery because of progressive heart failure (aortic or aortic and mitral valves replacement). Seven patients showed lesions on native mitral valve (6 in this group had prolapse syndrome). A patient died from cerebrovascular embolus, two underwent surgery because of persistent infection and embolic events, four were successfully treated with medical therapy. Among patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis, four showed signs of valvular dehiscence and required surgical intervention, during antimicrobial therapy, from congestive heart failure; one patient expired from recurrent infection. The pathological findings correlated well with echocardiographic findings. Conclusions: in IE the localization of lesions by echo has prognostic significance: most patients with aortic valve or aortic and mitral valves endocarditis require early surgical intervention because of congestive heart failure. On the contrary, mitral valve involvement carries a better prognosis, requiring less frequently valvular replacement; the patients with echocardiographic signs of prosthetic valve dehiscence require urgent intervention.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)