Abstract
In Japan, infective endocarditis (IE) or prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) due to intravenous drug use (IDU) is rare. We report the case of a patient with PVE due to IDU who required mitral valve replacement (MVR) and tricuspid valvoplasty (TVP). A 21-year-old woman with an IDU history had earlier acquired IE, and had undergone MVR using a bioprosthetic valve and TVP in November, 2010. She was transferred to our institute because of fever and general fatigue in February, 2012. Echocardiography revealed vegetation on the mitral bioprosthetic valve, and antibiotic administration was started. Although the infectious condition improved, the vegetation became more mobile. A second MVR, using a bioprosthetic valve, and TVP were performed 18 days after admission. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on postoperative day 32. At one and a half years after the second surgery, the patient is currently followed-up regularly at our department, and PVE recurrence has not been observed.
