A postoperative Gerbode defect in aortic prosthesis endocarditis with non-typhoid Salmonella.

The Gerbode defect is a congenital shunt from the left ventricle to the right atrium. The type I defect (2) results in a direct shunt through a portion of the membranous septum, while a type II (indirect) defect occurs if the membranous septal defect lies below the attachment of the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve. The shunt is directed towards the right atrium through a cleft or perforations of the septal leaflet. Acquired Gerbode defects have been identified in endocarditis, after mitral or aortic valve surgery, or may be post-traumatic. The case is presented of a 69-year-old woman with a postoperative Gerbode defect in association with aortic prosthetic endocarditis caused by non-typhoid Salmonella.