Introduction:
Determining the etiology of dyspnea in patients with structural heart disease can be challenging, especially in the current era with high prevalence of COVID-19. Our case highlights the importance of evaluating bioprosthetic valve function in the setting of a change in clinical status.
Case:
An 82 year old female with surgical coronary revascularization and bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement in 2003 presented with dyspnea. Her evaluation revealed hypoxemia, leukocytosis and a chest x-ray supportive of viral infection when the local prevalence of both COVID-19 and influenza were at their peak. She was admitted to the intensive care unit with impending respiratory failure most likely from an infectious etiology. Echocardiogram revealed an ejection fraction (EF) of 25% and severe prosthetic aortic regurgitation with a pressure half time of 117ms (
Figure
). Six months prior, she had normal EF and normal prosthetic valve function. Interestingly, she lacked a wide pulse pressure, murmur of aortic insufficiency, and other characteristic exam findings of valvular dysfunction. The patient rapidly deteriorated into cardiogenic shock. Following urgent evaluation for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, she had successful valve-in-valve deployment of a 23mm Edwards S3 Ultra valve. Her hemodynamic parameters improved immediately and she was weaned from inotropic support 1 day following valve replacement.
Conclusions:
Evaluation of prosthetic valve function is integral when a patient’s clinical condition changes. In our patient, depressed EF resulting in an elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure likely diminished the regurgitant fraction and the expected aortic insufficiency murmur. Periodic evaluation of prosthetic heart valve function is necessary, particularly when the patient’s clinical condition changes. Acute severe aortic regurgitation with cardiogenic shock is fatal without rapid evaluation and valve replacement.
Surgical aortic valvuloplasty in children and adolescents with aortic regurgitation: Acute and intermediate effects on aortic valve function and left ventricular dimensions
