CARDIOVASCULAR ENGINEERING Journal for Extracorporeal Circulation, Assist Devices,Transplantation and Artificial Organs
	Volume 3, 1998, No 2

Thrombotic Endocarditis with Severe Aortic Insufficiency after Blunt Chest Trauma

U. Timmann, S. Vogt, A. Ramaswamy*, R. Moosdorf

Abstract:
In this report an extremely rare case of thrombotic endocarditis following chest trauma rupture is presented. Blunt chest trauma is often associated with cardiac injuries, most of them being cardiac contusions. In our case a 45 year old patient suffered a blunt chest trauma through a car accident. Primary investigation in a nearby hospital revealed no major trauma and he was sent home the next day. After an interval of twelve days he was brought to our hospital with severe dyspnea and signs of progressive heart failure. Transesophageal echocardiography showed severe aortic insufficiency with regurgitation into the left and also right ventricle. This was interpreted as a rupture of the right sinus of valsalva and the patient was immediately referred to the operating room. Intraoperative findings showed a thickening of all three aortic cusps resulting in a severely restricted motion of the cusps and additionally a communication between the right sinus of valsalva and the right ventricle. Histological examination of the explanted cusps showed a thrombotic endocarditis without any sign of infection or externally caused thrombosis.

Keywords:
thrombotic endocarditis, severe cardiac trauma, aortic valve insufficiency

Address for Correspondence:

Reference:
(CVE. 1998; 3 (2): 63-66)

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