False Aneurysm of the Aortic Root and Right Ventricular Outflow Obstruction: An Unusual Complication of Surgically Treated Infective Endocarditis.
Aortic root abscess often complicates the course of aortic valve endocarditis. In severe cases, left ventricular-aortic discontinuity may occur, providing challenging technical problems for the surgeon. Moreover, surgical intervention sometimes takes place in a semi-emergency context, and the patches and prosthesis are sutured into friable tissues and subjected to high systemic pressures. Subsequently, paravalvular leaks and prosthesis dehiscence are not uncommon; postoperative false aneurysm of the aortic root is a much more unusual complication. We report one case of right ventricular outflow obstruction that occurred after surgical treatment of an aortic root abscess. Echocardiographic data were useful, but magnetic resonance imaging provided valuable information about the anatomic extent of the cavity. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 13, January 1996)