ESCHERICHIA-COLI ENDOCARDITIS OF A NATIVE MITRAL-VALVE WITH PARAVALVULAR PSEUDOANEURYSM FORMATION AND FATAL HEMOPERICARDIUM

Until recently only few cases have been described of acute infective e ndocarditis with E. Coli limited to a normal native mitral valve. Furt hermore, mechanisms of so called abcess formation and rupture are stil l uncompletely understood. We report the case of art E. Coli endocardi tis developing a rapidly progressive pseudoaneurysm of the mitral annu lus, At necropsy diffuse infectious tissue weakening with pseudoaneury sm formation of the mitral ring and dissection into an hemorraghic per icard were seen, The authors further discuss the changing pattern of i nfectious agents causing acute infective endocarditis of the native mi tral valve, transesophageal echocardiographic characteristics of parav alvular cavities and insights in mechanisms of pseudoaneurysm formatio n and dissection front clinicopathological findings.