Valvular tumour: Diagnostic pitfall. A case of marastic endocarditis (Valvular vegetation and neoplasia).

Marastic endocarditis is a rare clinical condition described in cases of ca ncer or other severe inflammatory diseases. The authors report the case of a young patient in good general condition, a dmitted after a cerebro-vascular accident. Investigations showed an isolate d mitral valvular mass on transoesophageal echocardiography which, after un successful medical therapy, was operated. It was, in fact, a case of marast ic endocarditis, and a pulmonary tumour was discovered one month after surg ery. The bronchopulmonary adenocarcinoma had remained infraclinical beforeh and. The advances in echocardiographic imaging will probably lead to an inc rease in such cases of early diagnosed thrombotic non-bacterial endocarditi s (ETNB). This case suggests that it is justified to carry out an aetiological invest igation of thrombotic non-bacterial endocarditis in all cases of isolated m itral valve masses.