Stenosis of a mechanical mitral prosthetic valve in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

A young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed progressive heart failure several years after mitral valve replacement with a Bjork-Sh iley prosthesis for treating mitral stenosis due to Libman-Sacks endocardit is, She was admitted to the hospital with pulmonary oedema. Transoesophagea l echocardiography revealed stenosis of the mitral prosthesis, which was co vered by fibrous tissue, Replacement of the prosthesis was done but the pat ient died from cerebral haemorrhage three days later. Although three cases of prosthetic valve dysfunction in SLE have been documented so far, this is to our knowledge the first report of a SLE recurrence on a tilting disc me chanical valve.