Emergency valve replacement for active infective endocarditis

During the last 12 years, 14 patients were subjected to emergency heart valve replacement in acute bacterial endocarditis. Operative mortality was 21% (3/14); significant postoperative periprosthetic regurgitation or reinfection occurred in none of the survivors. Risk factors with unfavourable prognosis are: (1) virulent pathogens ("Non-Viridans"-germs); (2) previously normal heart valves; (3) acute aortic insufficiency with premature closure of the mitral valve; (4) floating vegetations shown by echocardiography. Our results provide further evidence for the efficacy of early surgical intervention in patients with bacterial endocarditis with an unfavourable etiology or a complicated course.     

Vasculitic purpura with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive acute renal failure in a patient with Streptococcus bovis case and Neisseria subflava bacteremia and subacute endocarditis

Subacute bacterial endocarditis is frequently associated with extracardiac manifestations and renal failure. Clinical variety of endocarditis manifestation is wide and has the potential to mimic vasculitis. Whereas Streptococcus bovis is often isolated and associated with colonic tumors, Neisseriaceae are rarely found. An association of subacute bacterial endocarditis and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies has been described. We report on a 62-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with acute oliguric renal failure and a nonpruritic purpural rush without fever. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody diagnostic revealed perinuclear staining with a titre of 1 : 512 and antiproteinase-3 specificity. Immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis without extracapillary proliferation was diagnosed in renal biopsy. Finally, blood cultures became positive for Streptococcus bovis and Neisseria flava. Echocardiography showed mobile vegetations on tricuspid valve. Under treatment with penicillin G and gentamicin, skin efflorescences and renal function recovered, but vegetations increased. A colonic tumor could be excluded, a disastrous dental status may have been a predisposal factor. When classical findings of subacute bacterial endocarditis are less clear, the presence of renal failure and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in absence of fever may lead to misdiagnosis and deleterious immunosuppressive therapy. Neisseria subflava, an upper respiratory tract commensal, may cause subacute bacterial endocarditis without typical symptoms.     

复杂性感染性心内膜炎的外科治疗

目的评价瓣周脓肿、心肌脓肿以及瓣膜严重毁损等复杂性感染性心内膜炎手术治疗的近、远期疗效.方法回顾性分析1988年12月至2002年6月手术治疗的复杂性心内膜炎患者57例临床资料,均为原发性心内膜炎,其中感染侵犯主动脉瓣25例、二尖瓣16例、二尖瓣和主动脉瓣16例.术中发现瓣叶严重毁损32例、主动脉瓣周脓肿19例、主动脉根部环形脓肿导致左心室-主动脉连接破坏4例、二尖瓣后瓣环脓肿11例、心肌脓肿6例、瓣膜赘生物形成55例.脓肿清除后遗留残腔采用间断褥式缝合6例、自体心包片修补19例、牛心包片修补6例、聚四氟乙烯膨体补片修补4例;施行以带瓣管道作升主动脉根部替换和左、右冠状动脉移植术4例,主动脉瓣替换术21例,二尖瓣替换术16例,主动脉瓣及二尖瓣双瓣替换术16例.结果早期死亡6例(11%),死亡主要原因为低心输出量综合征、人造心脏瓣膜性心内膜炎和多脏器功能衰竭.随访4个月至14年,平均(5.93±0.20)年.晚期死亡5例,晚期主要并发症为人造瓣膜性心内膜炎.术后1年心功能恢复NYHA分组Ⅰ～Ⅱ级占96%(44/46);5年再手术免除率为(84±3)%,5年实际生存率为(61±9)%.结论复杂性心内膜炎局部组织破坏较多,应限期手术或急症手术,清创后残腔的处理是影响手术本身能否成功以及术后近、远期效果的关键.     

A case of tuberculous endocarditis with acute aortic valve insufficiency and annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm

Tuberculous endocarditis is an exceptionally rare disease, and its surgical operation has been reported in only one case. This is a successful surgical report of acute aortic insufficiency caused by tuberculous endocarditis associated with annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm (ASLVA) beneath the aortic valve. This patient had acute left ventricular failure and cardiorespiratory arrest and suffered from multiple organ dysfunction and coagulopathy disorder. Urgent surgery was performed to replace the aortic valve with the approximation of ASLVA. Histopathological findings of the excised aortic cusps gave the diagnosis of tuberculous endocarditis, and antituberculous drug administration started on the first postoperative day. Postoperative recovery has been uneventful without relapse of tuberculosis for 7 postoperative years.     

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with rheumatoid arthritis: An unusual case report

Clinically relevant renal lesions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not common. More often renal involvement is related to complications of therapy than the disease itself. The most common forms of primary renal disease in RA are membranous glomerulonephropathy and a pure mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Some studies have described the association between crescentic glomerulonephritis (crescentic GN) and RA, but they were all found to be perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) positive. However, RA associated with ANCA negative pauci-immue crescentic GN has not been reported. This is a case report of a 37-year-old female with RA who initially presented with general oedema and acute deterioration of renal function. The renal biopsy revealed ANCA negative pauci-immune crescentic GN. The patient was treated with steroid pulse and plasmapheresis, but not cyclophosphamide because of severe urosepsis. Despite the use of aggressive therapy, her renal function was not improved and she underwent maintenance haemodialysis thereafter. Because ANCA negative crescentic GN may occur in RA patients without frank systemic vasculitis, but with severe clinical manifestation, a heightened suspicion for a relatively 'silent' crescentic GN would have led to the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.     

先天性主动脉瓣二叶化畸形的外科治疗

目的　探讨先天性主动脉瓣二叶化畸形的诊断、适宜手术时机、围术期处理以及手术疗效。　方法　 60例患者被施行心瓣膜置换术 ,行主动脉瓣机械瓣置换术 5 6例 ,行自体心包瓣置换术 4例 ;同时行主动脉窦瘤破裂修补术 2例 ,胸主动脉瘤修补术 2例 ,动脉导管未闭缝扎术 3例 ,室间隔缺损修补术 5例 ,冠状动脉旁路移植术 3例。其中伴感染性心内膜炎 2 5例。　结果　术后早期死亡 5例 ,死亡率为 8.3 %。随访 4 9例 ,平均随访时间 5 .4年 ,5年生存率为 84 .3 %。　结论　先天性主动脉瓣二叶化畸形以男性居多 ,左、右二叶型较前、后型常见 ,可致主动脉瓣关闭不全和 /或狭窄 ,以关闭不全多见 ( 75 % )。出现充血性心力衰竭、心绞痛、晕厥、感染性心内膜炎时应尽早行手术治疗 ,症状不明显的患者应定期复查超声心动图 ,主动脉瓣置换术是常用的手术方法。     

Risk of Reoperative Valve Replacement for Failed Mitral and Aortic Bioprostheses

Background. One factor influencing the choice of mechanical versus bioprosthetic valves is reoperation for bioprosthetic valve failure. To define its operative risk, we reviewed our results with valve reoperation for bioprosthetic valve failure.

Methods. Records of 400 consecutive patients having reoperative mitral, aortic, or mitral and aortic bioprosthetic valve replacement from January 1985 to March 1997 were reviewed.

Results. Reoperations were for failed bioprosthetic mitral valves in 219 patients, failed aortic valves in 153 patients, and failed aortic and mitral valves in 28 patients. Including 26 operations (6%) for acute endocarditis, 153 operations (38%) were nonelective. One hundred nine patients (27%) had other valves repaired or replaced, and 72 (18%) had coronary bypass grafting. The incidence of death in the mitral, aortic, and double-valve groups was respectively, 15 (6.8%), 12 (7.8%), and 4 (14.3%); and the incidence of prolonged postoperative hospital stay (>14 days) was, respectively, 57 (26.0%), 41 (26.8%), and 8 (28.6%). Only 7 of 147 patients (4.8%) having elective, isolated, first-time valve reoperation died. Multivariable predictors (p < 0.05) of hospital death were age greater than 65 years, male sex, renal insufficiency, and nonelective operation; and predictors of prolonged stay were acute endocarditis, renal insufficiency, any concurrent cardiac operation, and elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure.

Conclusions. Reoperative bioprosthetic valve replacement can be performed with acceptable mortality and hospital stay. The best results are achieved with elective valve replacement, without concurrent cardiac procedures.     

Surgical treatment of infective valve endocarditis in children with congenital heart disease

Abstract Objective: This study assesses surgical procedures, operative outcome, and early and intermediate‐term results of infective valve endocarditis in children with congenital heart disease. Methods: Seven consecutive children (five females, two males; mean age, 10.8 years) who underwent surgery for infective valve endocarditis between 2006 and 2010 were included in the study. The aortic and mitral valves were affected in two and tricuspid in five patients. Indications for operation included cardiac failure due to atrioventricular septal rupture, severe tricuspid valve insufficiency, and septic embolization in one, moderate valvular dysfunction with vegetations in three (two tricuspid, one mitral), and severe valvular dysfunction with vegetations in the other three patients (two tricuspid, one mitral). The pathological microorganism was identified in five patients. Tricuspid valve repair was performed with ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure in five patients. Two patients required mitral valve repair including one with additional aortic valve replacement. Results: There were no operative deaths. Actuarial freedom from recurrent infection at one and three years was 100%. Early echocardiographic follow‐up showed four patients to have mild atrioventricular valve regurgitation (three tricuspid and one mitral) and three had no valvular regurgitation. No leakage from the VSD closure or any valvular stenosis was detected postoperatively. Conclusions: Mitral and tricuspid valve repairs can be performed with low morbidity/mortality rates and satisfactory intermediate‐term results in children with infective valve endocarditis . (J Card Surg 2012;27:93‐98)     

Glomerulonephritis causing acute renal failure during the course of bacterial infections. Histological varieties,potential pathogenetic pathways and treatment

To illustrate diagnostic approaches, potential pathogenetic differences, epidemiological implications and therapeutic dilemmas posed by glomerulonephritis (GN) with acute renal failure (ARF) complicating bacterial infections, we analyzed the course of four male patients, aged 53–71 years, who developed GN and ARF following bacterial infections. The first two patients developed GN with immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits after infections with hospital-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Clinical, serologic and histological features, classification of GN and treatment differed between the two patients. In the first patient, serological features (transient hypocomplementemia, normal serum protein electrophoresis) and histological findings were consistent with typical post-infectious GN. Treatment with antibiotics alone resulted in normalization of the renal function despite the severity of ARF, which required temporary hemodialysis. In the second patient, serological features (normal serum complement, polyclonal elevation of gamma globulins) and histological picture of the kidneys were characteristic of IgA nephropathy with fibrocellular crescents, and skin histology was consistent with vasculitis. Cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids were added to the antibiotics, with partial improvement of the renal failure. The third patient developed simultaneous acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal GN causing severe ARF requiring hemodialysis. Complete recovery of ARF and migratory polyarthritis followed initiation of corticosteroids. The fourth patient developed ARF and cerebral vasculitis following a prolonged course of Streptococcus mutans endocarditis with delayed diagnosis. He also developed multiple serological abnormalities including elevated titers of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-phospholipid antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and modest hypocomplementemia. Kidney biopsy revealed ANCA-mediated focal GN with 10% crescents and acute interstitial nephritis. Treatment with cyclophosphamide plus corticosteroids, but not with antibiotics alone, resulted in resolution of both the ARF and the features of cerebral vasculitis. GN following bacterial infections may have various pathogenetic mechanisms, presents complex diagnostic challenges, may be preventable in the case of hospital-acquired MRSA, and, in addition to antibiotics, may require immunosuppressive therapy in carefully selected and monitored cases.     

Surgical treatment of active valvular infective endocarditis

A review is presented of 20 patients consecutively operated on for acute valvular endocarditis. The diagnosis was established from at least two of the criteria: (a) typical clinical features, (b) two blood cultures positive for the same causal microorganism, and (c) echocardiographic evidence of vegetations. In all cases there was histologic evidence of active infection in the surgical specimen. Only three of the 20 patients had no previous cardiac disease. The most common causal agent was Staphylococcus aureus. The indications for surgery were refractory cardiac failure or infection (18 and 2 cases, respectively). Aortic valve replacement was performed in 16 of the 20 cases, suggesting that aortic valvulopathy aggravates the course of infective endocarditis and increases the risk of heart failure. The overall mortality rate was 30%. All surviving patients were infection-free at postoperative bacteriologic follow-up. Surgery is considered to be the management of choice in active valvular, therapy-resistant bacterial endocarditis with or without cardiac failure.     

PR3-ANCA-positive crescentic necrotizing glomerulonephritis accompanied by isolated pulmonic valve infective endocarditis, with reference to previous reports of renal pathology

Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) often have renal complications which may include infarcts, abscesses and glomerulonephritis (GN). Furthermore, it is generally accepted that there is an association between IE and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). Here, we report the case of a 24-year-old man who developed rapidly progressive GN in the course of IE due to infection with alpha-streptococcus. The initial clinical manifestation of the condition was severe sacroiliitis without fever. Sandwich ELISA showed that the patient was positive for PR3-ANCA at low titer, and the classical complement pathway was also activated. Renal biopsy demonstrated several lesions: focal embolic GN, GN with immune deposits and focal and segmental crescentic necrotizing GN. Treatment with antibiotics and steroids led to eradication of the infection, and resolution of the renal disease was accompanied by immediate disappearance of PR3-ANCA and hypocomplementemia. During a 4-year follow-up period, no recurrence was observed. There have only been 7 case reports of GN associated with IE and PR3-ANCA in which the renal pathology has been described, and the current report is the first to document renal pathology in a patient with isolated pulmonic valve IE and PR3-ANCA. Moreover, this report is the first to show a change in renal biopsy findings in response to treatment. A review of the 7 literature cases and that of our patient showed that none involved pauci-immune GN. Hence, further studies are needed to clarify the prevalence of pauci-immune GN in ANCA-positive IE patients.     

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus infective endocarditis confirmed by broad-range PCR diagnosis: A case report

IntroductionAggregatibacter aphrophilus is a rare cause of infective endocarditis. This pathogen is difficult to identify with common culture methods, which can lead to incorrect diagnosis and treatment.Presentation of caseA 72-year-old woman was admitted to a community hospital with a persistent high fever and deteriorating renal function. Based on negative blood culture and positive serum proteinase 3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA), acute renal failure associated with ANCA-rerated vasculitis was initially suspected. However, the patient developed heart failure soon afterward; echocardiography showed mitral insufficiency with mobile vegetation attached to the mitral valve, indicating infective endocarditis. After transfer to our hospital, the patient underwent mitral valve repair. Broad-range polymerase chain reaction (br-PCR) and sequencing identified Aggregatibacter aphrophilus in the excised vegetation. The patient had a good postoperative course, with recovery of renal function.ConclusionA rare disease, Aggregatibacter aphrophilus infective endocarditis was successfully treated with surgical repair and appropriate antibiotic therapy. To avoid misdiagnosis, br-PCR testing should be performed in patients with blood culture-negative endocarditis.     

原发性感染性心内膜炎的外科治疗（附102例报告）

回顾性分析原发性感染性心内膜炎１０２例，其中主动脉瓣病变７１例，二尖瓣病变１６例，主动脉瓣与二尖瓣联合病变６例，三尖瓣病变５例，肺动脉瓣病变４例。按照病人术前心功能状态，分为：（１）急性心功能不全组（２５例）；（２）慢性心功能不全组（７７例）。施行主动脉瓣替换术７１例，二尖瓣替换术１６例，双瓣替换术６例，三尖瓣修复成形术５例，肺动脉瓣成形术４例。术后早期死亡９例（８．８％）。９３例生存者随访时间３个月～１６年，平均随访时间４．３年。晚期死亡６例，其中２例为人工瓣膜心内膜炎，复发率为２％。作者对手术时机与手术方式的选择作了讨论，并介绍了围术期处理的经验。     

Prosthetic endocarditis treated by repeated heart transplantation: report of a successful case

The treatment of recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis is extremely difficult. Heart transplantation (HT) may save the patient's life. Recurrent endocarditis, however, can occur after HT. This report described a patient who had under gone four conventional valve surgeries and three HTs successfully. In May 2000, a 14-year-old boy suffered from endocarditis with severe aortic valve regurgitation. He underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) at another hospital. Due to prosthetic valve endocarditis, he displayed a severe paravalvular leakage and was transferred to our hospital where he underwent Bentall's operation in October 2000. Despite a full antibiotic course, he experienced a relapse of the prosthetic endocarditis with significant deterioration of the heart function and a progressively more severe paravalvular leak. Considering the difficulties of repair and the poor heart function, he underwent an HT in June 2003 and recovered well. Unfortunately, endocarditis with aortic valve regurgitation attacked him again after 3 years. Remarkably, all blood cultures were negative. A second AVR was performed in October 2006 with a Second Bentall's procedure 1 year later in 2007. In November 2009, the patient suddenly displayed cardiogenic shock with collapse. He was transferred to our hospital and needed extracorporcal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Two days later, he underwent a second HT. However, the donor heart was nonfunctional due to the prolonged ischemia time. ECMO support was continuously needed after the HT. A third HT was performed successfully 10 days later. Due to previous reported experiences of culture-negative endocarditis, minocycline was prescribed twice daily continuously after the third HT/seventh cardiac surgery. The patient was discharged 2 months later. To date he takes minocycline every day and lives a healthy life.     

Cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive pauci-immune glomerulonephritis associated with infectious endocarditis

Renal deterioration often occurs in cases of infectious endocarditis (IE), but, IE- associated nephritis with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) is rare. Patients with severe infection (e.g., IE) sometimes show positivity for cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (C-ANCA). Therefore, diagnosis and treatment are very difficult in cases of RPGN with IE and positivity for C-ANCA. Such cases are rare, only 12 have been reported in the English literature. Herein, we describe the case of a 50-year-old man who presented with RPGN with IE and tested positively for C-ANCA. He was referred to our hospital because of leg edema, purpura and renal dysfunction. Laboratory tests revealed serum creatinine elevation and positivity for C-ANCA and proteinase 3-specific (PR3)-ANCA. RPGN and acute renal failure were diagnosed. Hemodialysis and steroid therapy were started. Streptococcus oralis was isolated by blood culture. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed grade III mitral valve insufficiency with two vegetations. Therefore, IE was diagnosed. The steroid therapy was stopped, and antibiotic therapy was begun. Because there was no improvement, surgical therapy was performed. The operation was successful, but the patient died of brain hemorrhage. Our experience in this case indicates C/PR3-ANCA positive RPGN must be ruled out in patients with infectious disease, particularly IE, together with renal symptoms, and renal biopsy should be performed.     

Stentless Porcine Bioprostheses in the Treatment of Aortic Valve Infective Endocarditis

Between January 1992 and June 1994, 23 patients underwent surgery for aortic valve endocarditis at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the University of Verona; a subgroup of 10 patients underwent aortic valve replacement with a porcine stentless valve (Biocor LTDA n = 8; Toronto SPV n = 2). There were 7 males and 3 females with a mean age of 56.3 years (range, 36 to 73 years). Eight patients had active endocarditis and two had healed endocarditis. Nine patients had native valve in endocarditis, the presence of a bicuspid aortic valve in 2, and 1 patient had recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), 7 of whom were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class IV. The main indications for operation were congestive cardiac failure, active sepsis, and presence of large and mobile vegetations by echo and arrhythmias. There were no operative or late mortalities in this subgroup of patients. Short-term survival is 100% at a mean follow-up time of 11.2 months (range, 4 to 18 months), with no recurrent endocarditis or valve-related complications.     

Transformation from Tubulointerstitial Nephritis to Crescentic Glomerulonephritis: An Unusual Presentation of ANCA-Associated Renal Vasculitis

A 44-year-old man with acute renal failure and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) positivity was described. The first renal biopsy specimen showed tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) with normal glomeruli. However, delayed recovery of renal function with low-dose steroid treatment for TIN prompted a second renal biopsy 1 month later; and the specimen demonstrated a dramatically different morphology, with necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis. Improvement in renal function occurred, together with reduction of ANCA titers, following intensive immunosuppressive therapy. This case illustrates an unusual presentation of TIN in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis. The possible pathogenetic mechanism are discussed.     

Transformation from tubulointerstitial nephritis to crescentic glomerulonephritis: an unusual presentation of ANCA-associated renal vasculitis

A 44-year-old man with acute renal failure and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) positivity was described. The first renal biopsy specimen showed tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) with normal glomeruli. However, delayed recovery of renal function with low-dose steroid treatment for TIN prompted a second renal biopsy 1 month later; and the specimen demonstrated a dramatically different morphology, with necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis. Improvement in renal function occurred, together with reduction of ANCA titers, following intensive immunosuppressive therapy. This case illustrates an unusual presentation of TIN in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis. The possible pathogenetic mechanism are discussed.     

Untreated tetralogy of Fallot in an adult patient complicated by acute aortic valve endocarditis

Acute endocarditis complicated by aortic valve regurgitation is an uncommon finding in adults with surgical untreated tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The hemodynamic consequences for both, the right and left ventricles, are significant. However, the right ventricle may be in a disastrous situation, since a compromised right ventricle from longstanding pressure overload may not tolerate acute volume overload. Here we report a 28-year-old African adult patient with TOF and acute severe aortic valve regurgitation due to bacterial endocarditis with preoperative low cardiac output syndrome. After aortotomy a large abscess cavity underneath the left and non-coronary sinus and a TOF typical perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) were visible. Autologous glutaraldehyde-treated pericardium was used to reconstruct the aortic-mitral curtain. For repair of the TOF a vertical incision in the right ventricular outflow tract was performed and the infundibular septum was resected. The perimembranous VSD was closed with glutaraldehyde-fixed autologous pericardium, whereas the cranial part of the patch formed the aortic annulus. An aortic homograft was implanted as a full aortic root. The patient recovered early and uneventful. Adult TOF may be complicated by acute aortic valve endocarditis with emergent surgical intervention. Homograft aortic valve replacement is feasible in this setting.