Fungal endocarditis at the aortotomy site after aortic valve replacement

This brief report presents a patient with fungal endocarditis involving the suture location in the ascending aorta after aortotomy to replace a stenot ic aortic valve. It emphasizes the importance of expanding the diagnostic i nvestigation for endocarditis beyond the prosthesis, which was normal in th is case. It also reiterates the value of transesophageal echocardiography d uring the evaluation of prosthetic valves and reminds the echocardiographer to visualize the aortotomy site carefully.