• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.755-758
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• 2008

We report here on a case of performing a redo-operation for a 65-years-old male patient who had prosthetic endocarditis after reconstruction of the fibrous skeleton due to infective endocarditis 8 years earlier. An aortic annular abscess with a 1cm sized subvalvular abscess and mobile mitral valve vegetation with destruction of the fibrous skeleton was shown on the preoperative echocardiography. An emergency operation was performed due to heart failure. Reconstruction of both the aortic and mitral annuli and the fibrous skeleton was done by using two separate bovine pericardial patches and then mechanical valves were implanted. The postoperative echocardiography shows no paravalvular leakage. The patient has been followed up with no symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.792-798
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• 2002

Although there is a controversy on the optimal timing for active infective endocarditis(IE), recently good results of early surgical intervention have been published. Herein, we analyzed the results of surgery for active IE according to the duration of preoperative antibiotic treatment. Material and Method : Retrospectively, we analyzed 51 patients who underwent operation for active IE at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery of Samsung medical center from Mar. 1995 to Oct. 2001. Male to female ratio was 39:12, mean age of the patients was 44.5$\pm$17.8 years(range : 13~74). Infected valves were mitral valve in 17(33.3%), aortic valve in 15(29.4%), mitral and aortic valve in 12(23.5), and tricuspid valve in 5(9.8%) cases. Among them, prosthetic valve endocarditis was present in 10(19.6%) cases. Infecting organism was Staphylococcus in 19(37.3%), Streptococcus in 17(33.3%), Enterococcus in 3(5.9%), fungus in 3(5.9%), and other bacteria in 5(9.8%) cases. Organism was not isolated in 6(11.8%) cases, and two organisms were isolated in 4(7.8%) cases. Dividing these patients into two groups according to the duration of preoperative antibiotic treatment(A: less than 7 days, B: more than 8 days), we compared the surgical results between the two groups. Result : There were 16 cases in group A and 35 in group B. Annular reconstruction was performed in 10(62.5%) cases in group A and 10(28.6%) cases in group B, which has statistically significance(p＜0.05). There was one early death in group B. Forty nine patients(96.1%) except two were followed up with mean follow-up duration of 28.7 $\pm$ 23.6 months. Endocarditis was recurred in one in group A, and two in group B. Three late deaths occurred in group B. Recurrence rate and survival were not statistically different between the two groups. Conclusion : Early surgery for active IE showed good results as the result of that which was performed after prolonged antibiotic treatment; therefore, we believe that early surgery for active If could effectively eradicate the infection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.600-606
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• 2007

Background: Infective endocarditis shows high surgical mortality and morbidity rates, especially for aortic endocarditis. This study attempts to investigate the clinical characteristics and operative results of isolated aortic endocarditis. Material and Method: From July 1990 to May 2005, 25 patients with isolated aortic endocarditis (Group I, male female=18 : 7, mean age $43.2{\pm}18.6$ years) and 23 patients with isolated mitral endocarditis (Group II, male female=10 : 13, mean age $43.2{\pm}17.1$ years) underwent surgical treatment in our hospital. All the patients had native endocarditis and 7 patients showed a bicuspid aortic valve in Group I. Two patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis and one patients developed mitral endocarditis after a mitral valvuloplasty in Group II. Positive blood cultures were obtained from 11 (44.0%) patients in Group I, and 10 (43.3%) patients in Group II, The pre-operative left ventricular ejection fraction for each group was $60.8{\pm}8.7%$ and $62.1{\pm}8.1%$ (p=0.945), respectively. There was moderate to severe aortic regurgitation in 18 patients and vegetations were detected in 17 patients in Group I. There was moderate to severe mitral regurgitation in 19 patients and vegetations were found in 18 patients in Group II. One patient had a ventricular septal defect and another patient underwent a Maze operation with microwaves due to atrial fibrillation. We performed echocardiography before discharge and each year during follow-up. The mean follow-up period was $37.2{\pm}23.5$ (range $9{\sim}123$) months. Result: Postoperative complications included three cases of low cardiac output in Group I and one case each of re-surgery because of bleeding and low cardiac output in Group II. One patient died from an intra-cranial hemorrhage on the first day after surgery in Group I, but there were no early deaths in Group II. The 1, 3-, and 5-year valve related event free rates were 92.0%, 88.0%, and 88.0% for Group I patients, and 91.3%, 76.0%, and 76.0% for Group II patients, respectively. The 1, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 96.0%, 96.0%, and 96.0% for Group I patients, and foo%, 84.9%, and 84.9% for Group II patients, respectively. Conclusion: Acceptable surgical results and mid-term clinical results for aortic endocarditis were seen.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.209-212
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• 2018

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms are rare and often fatal. A 72-year-old man had previously been admitted to the emergency room with epigastric pain and heart murmur. The echocardiographic diagnosis was vegetation on the aortic and mitral valves, with moderate regurgitation from both valves due to infective endocarditis. No aneurysm was detected on abdominal computed tomography, and emergency double-valve replacement was performed. On postoperative day 25, the patient experienced abrupt abdominal pain, and computed tomography revealed a mycotic SMA aneurysm. Open surgical repair of the SMA aneurysm was performed using the femoral vein, and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.77 no.1
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• pp.34-37
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• 2014

Hypercoagulability disorders are commonly encountered in clinical situations in patients with a variety of cancers. However, several hypercoagulability disorders presenting as first symptoms or signs in cancer patients have rarely been reported. We herein described a case of a woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung presenting with deep vein thrombosis, nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, recurrent cerebral embolic infarction, and heart failure.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.209-216
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) between children and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) at a single tertiary care center. Methods: In this retrospective medical record review, we extracted the demographic characteristics, diagnostic variables, and outcomes of patients diagnosed with IE and CHD between 2000 and 2016. Results: We identified a total of 14 pediatric patients (nine male; median age at diagnosis, 3 years). Of the 14 patients, six had a history of previous open heart surgery, while four had undergone tetralogy of Fallot repair, with transannular patch or Rastelli procedure. Among the 10 children with positive blood cultures, the most common isolated organism was Staphylococcus spp. (8/10, 80%). Eleven adult patients had IE and CHD. Among the adult patients, only four were diagnosed with CHD before IE, and ventricular septal defect was the most common CHD. The most common isolated organism was Streptococcus spp. (6/11, 55%). Compared with adult patients, pediatric patients had a higher incidence of previously diagnosed CHD (P=0.001), with Staphylococcus spp. as the causative organism (P=0.027). The median duration between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis of IE was 9 days in children and 42 days in adults (P=0.012). Conclusions: Significant differences with regard to the diagnosis and progress of IE were observed between children and adults. Age-adjusted and systematic reassessment may be necessary for the diagnosis and management of IE.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.619-626
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• 2010

Background: The indications and the optimal time of surgery of infective endocarditis are controversial. We report the surgical results of our hospital during the last 10 years with literature review. Material and Method: Between January 2000 and December 2009, we enrolled 23 infective endocarditis patients who underwent surgery, and analyzed retrospectively. In the preoperative blood culture, 8 cases (34.8%) were positive. The average preoperative antibiotics treatment period was $20.78{\pm}16.00$ days. There were 12 (52.2%) urgent operations. The average follow up period was $49.26{\pm}33.21$ months. Result: 20 mechanical valve replacements were performed, 9 in aortic position, 8 in mitral position and 3 in the both positions. The other procedures were one mitral valvuloplasty, one infected myxoma extirpation, and one infected pacemaker lead removal with debridement. The average period of postoperative intravenous antibiotic treatment was $24.39{\pm}15.98$ days. There were 5 complications, including 2 cases of postoperative bleeding, one postcardiotomy syndrome, one cerebral ischemia, and a low cardiac output syndrome. There were statistically significant postoperative improvement in NYHA class, left ventricle end diastolic/end systolic volume, and left atrium size (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: We could obtain the satisfactory results without any moftalities by using sufficient preoperative antibiotics in hemodynamically stable patients, and by prompt surgery in unstable patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.447-455
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• 2009

Background: Prosthetic valve endocarditis usually presents with clinical symptoms that are more severe than native valve endocarditis, and prosthetic valve endocarditis shows the spread of infection into the surrounding tissue as well as into the superficial endocardial layers. The postoperative prognosis is especially poor for valve re-replacement for the cases of active endocarditis that are unable to receive a full-course of pre-antibiotic therapy due to complications and the ensuing clinical aggravation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical profiles, laboratory findings and mid-term surgical results of active prosthetic valve endocarditis. Material and Method: Among the 276 surgically treated infective endocarditis patients who were treated during the period from January 1998 to July 2008, 31 patients were treated for prosthetic valve endocarditis. Among these patients, 24 received surgical treatment for an 'active' state, and they were selected for evaluation. Result: The most frequently encountered symptom was a febrile sensation. Eight cases (33.3%) were accompanied by systemic thromboembolism, among which 5 cases (20.8%) had an affected central nervous system. 'Vegetations' were most commonly found on transesophageal echocardiography, and the 'Staphylococcus species' were the most frequent pathogens. There were 4 deaths in the immediate postoperative period, and an additional 4 patients died during the follow-up period (Mean$\pm$SD, 42.1$\pm$36.9 months). The cumulative survival rate was 79% at 1 year, 73% at 3 years, 66% at 5 year, and 49.5% at 7 years. Conclusion: The cases of active prosthetic valve endocarditis that were unable to receive a full course of preoperative antibiotics therapy generally have a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, early surgery and extensive resection of all the infected tissue is pivotal in improving the survival rate of patients with surgically treated active prosthetic valve endocarditis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.276-282
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• 1988

Surgery is now the usual mode of therapy in patients with severe valvular heart disease. Until recently, clinicians and pathologists attributed nearly all acquired valvular heart diseases to a rheumatic origin, except some obviously resulting from acute infection and syphilis. Although many clinicians and pathologists describe that the origin of aortic valvular disease is a nonrheumatic origin, we recognize the major origin of aortic valvular disease in Korea as a rheumatic origin. We excised 47 cardiac valves from valvular heart diseased patients and performed anatomical and pathological analysis for its origin and underlying pathology. The purpose of this article is to provide an update for the clinicians of evolving issues related to the pathology of valvular heart disease. But myxomatous origin and infective endocarditis valvulitis will not be covered in detail.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.247-249
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• 2011

We report a case of pseudo-pseudoaneurysm, which is a very rare complication of myocardial infarction. A 69-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with chest tightness and dyspnea. He had undergone aortic valve replacement with a pericardial bioprosthetic valve, ring mitral annuloplasty, and reconstruction of an aortic annular defect due to infective endocarditis with bovine pericardium 4 years prior. Echocardiography and computed tomography showed pericardial effusion and a 16-mm cavity at the anterolateral wall of the left ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested either pseudo-pseudoaneurysm or myocardial abscess. We successfully repaired the myocardial defect using a patch made from a vascular graft with pledgeted horizontal mattress sutures under cardiopulmonary bypass.