Prosthetic pulmonary valve and conduit endocarditis in congenital heart disease

Background Pulmonary valve replacement is one of the most common procedures in patients with congenital heart disease. Little is known about prosthetic valve endocarditis in this population. Objectives To review management and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients with a prosthetic pulmonary valve or right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit infective endocarditis. Methods and results A multiinstitutional cohort of 10 patients is reported. Median age at endocarditis was 24 years (range 8–41 years). The most common causative organisms were Staphylococcus (n = 4) and Streptococcus species (n = 2). In addition to medical treatment, 5 patients required surgery. Majors complications such as renal damage, life-threatening hemoptysis, and septic shock were observed. No patient died in hospital or during follow-up. Conclusions Pulmonary prosthetic valve endocarditis is a rare condition associated with significant morbidity and a high risk of requiring operative intervention. Larger studies are required to optimize the management.