Culture-Negative Suppurative Endocarditis Causing Severe Mitral Valve Obstruction: Complementary Use of Transesophageal and Transthoracic Echocardiography

Infective endocarditis causes a myriad number of serious complications. Mitral valve obstruction is a rare complication. We report a 48‐year‐old Asian female who presented with two‐week duration of fever and rapidly developed acute pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock. Sequential transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a rapidly growing vegetation on the anterior mitral leaflet with severe stenosis of the valve. All the blood cultures were negative. The patient underwent a successful mitral valve replacement. A review of 21 previously reported cases of mitral valve obstruction from endocarditis demonstrates the poor prognosis of this entity and supports early surgery. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 20, July 2003)