Endocarditis after nipple piercing in a patient with a bicuspid aortic valve

Piercing the skin for cosmetic reasons can be dangerous in young adults who have previously undergone surgery for congenital defects of the heart. We report the case of a 24-year-old man in whom coarctation of the aorta had b een corrected 15 years earlier. Two months after piercing his left nipple w ithout antibiotic prophylaxis, he developed a local mastitis, followed by b acterial endocarditits that required replacement of the aortic valve. (C) 2 001 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.