Prosthetic valve endocarditis in a patient with Marfan's syndrome following acupuncture

Active prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) as a complication of acupuncture requiring valve surgery has not been reported previously. We report a case of PVE in a patient with Marfan's syndrome as a complication of acupunctur e, who underwent emergency redo aortic root and valve replacement with a ho mograft. This report highlights the need for prophylactic antibiotics befor e acupuncture in patients with prosthetic valves, and also describes the us e of a homograft as an effective surgical strategy.