Isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

Isolated pulmonic valve endocarditis is an uncommon clinical entity and is usually associated with intravenous drug abuse. We describe a case of isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis in a young woman with no apparent precipitating factors other than a history of recent normal delivery. During the clinical course she suffered a pulmonary embolism which could be managed conservatively and she was discharged after a 4-week course of antibiotic therapy. The literature on the isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis is reviewed. <Learning objective: In right-sided endocarditis, the option for surgical management should not be based solely on the vegetation size. Large vegetation in the right-sided valves with multiple pulmonary embolisms can be managed by medical therapy if the patient is hemodynamically stable.>

Isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis: truth or myth?

“…In addition, PV IE has been associated with both structurally normal and abnormal valves [2,3,6–8]. The rarity of PV IE has been attributed to multiple factors including lower pressure within the right heart, lower incidence of congenital malformations or acquired valvular abnormalities, lower oxygen content of venous blood and the differences in the endothelial lining and vascularization of the valve [2,9]. …”

“…However, multiple other risk factors have been reported including male gender, central venous catheters, alcoholism, dental extraction, gonorrhea, liver or renal transplantation, bowel surgery, colonic angiodysplasia, and congenital heart disease (CHD) [2,9,10]. Immunosuppressive therapy has also recently been proposed as a risk factor [11].…”

Pulmonic Valve Repair in a Patient with Isolated Pulmonic Valve Endocarditis and Sickle Cell Disease

“…The rarity of infection of the pulmonic valve compared to other cardiac valves has been attributed to the lower pressure within the right heart, lower incidence of congenital malformations or acquired valvular abnormalities, lower oxygen content of venous blood, and the differences in the endothelial lining and vascularization of the valve [ 6 , 7 ]. Risk factors for pulmonic valve endocarditis include intravenous drug abuse, alcoholism, sepsis, central venous catheter infection, pacemaker implantation with lead infection, gonorrhea, dental extraction, bowel surgery, liver or renal transplantation, and colonic angiodysplasia [ 3 , 6 , 7 ].…”

Rare cause for a common presentation: isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis yet another mimicker

“…Reported invasive procedures are also quite varied. PVE due to E. faecalis had been described in patient with blood transfusion-dependent aplastic anaemia,4 in myelodysplastic syndrome patient on immunosuppressive therapy for relapsing polychondritis with Histoplasma capsulatum ,5 even following normal vaginal delivery in hospital with no organism isolated in blood culture 6. There are reported cases of isolated PVE in patient undergoing chronic haemodialysis7 and in patient with orthotopic liver transplantation 8.…”