Bioprosthetic endocarditis due to Cryptococcus neoformans
Boden, W.E.; Fisher, A.; Medeiros, A.; Benham, I.; McEnany, M.T.
Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 24(2): 164-166
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9509 PMID: 6841440 Document Number: 208081
Fungal prosthetic endocarditis continues to be a lethal complication of cardiac valve replacement. We describe a patient with culture-proved Cryptococcal endocarditis and myocarditis whose non-regurgitant xenograft aortic prosthesis was successfully replaced urgently upon the occurrence of new 1st degree A-V block in the third postoperative week. Operative intervention, including vigorous debridement of the aortic root, is effective in postoperative prosthetic fungal infections involving the myocardium. The patient described herein is now infection-free, with a non-regurgitant valve, one and one-half years following operation.