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Case Reports
. 2001;28(1):57-9.

The pitfalls of transthoracic echocardiography. A case of eustachian valve endocarditis

J Bowers  1 , W Krimsky, J D Gradon
Affiliations
Case Reports

The pitfalls of transthoracic echocardiography. A case of eustachian valve endocarditis

J Bowers et al. Tex Heart Inst J. 2001.

Abstract

A case of infective endocarditis involving the vestigial eustachian valve is presented and the available English medical literature is reviewed. Only 5 prior cases have been reported: 4 of those required transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis, and the other was found at autopsy. This clinical entity is routinely missed on transthoracic echocardiography. Injection drug use is a common predisposing factor, and Staphylococcus aureus is the most commonly identified organism. This report broadens the differential diagnosis of endovascular infections in injection drug users and highlights the importance of transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis in selected patients.

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Figures

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Fig. 1 A transesophageal echocardiographic view of the 6-cm vegetation attached to the eustachian valve (arrows). The tricuspid valve is free of vegetations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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