FALSE ANEURYSM OF THE AORTIC ROOT AND RIGHT-VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW OBSTRUCTION - AN UNUSUAL COMPLICATION OF SURGICALLY TREATED INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS

Aortic root abscess often complicates the course of aortic valve endoc arditis. In severe cases, left ventricular-aortic discontinuity may oc cur, providing challenging technical problems for the surgeon. Moreove r, surgical intervention sometimes takes place in a semi-emergency con text, and the patches and prosthesis are sutured into friable tissues and subjected to high systemic pressures. Subsequently, paravalvular l eaks and prosthesis dehiscence are not uncommon; postoperative false a neurysm of the aortic root is a much more unusual complication. We rep ort one case of right ventricular outflow obstruction that occurred af ter surgical treatment of an aortic root abscess. Echocardiographic da ta were useful, but magnetic resonance imaging provided valuable infor mation about the anatomic extent of the cavity.