A man with dark urine and shortness of breath: a case-based review of paravalvular leaks.

A 62-year-old man presented to his general practitioner with a 10-day history of dark red urine. Subsequent blood tests revealed an acute kidney injury and anaemia. His only medical history was a prosthetic mitral valve replacement 30 years previously for rheumatic valve disease. Following referral to a urology service, initial investigations, including CT KUB (kidneys, ureters, bladder), excluded a urological cause for his presentation. A haemolysis screen was positive. A transthoracic echocardiogram reported severe aortic stenosis and aortic incompetence. A transoesophageal echocardiogram revealed a paravalvular leak at the prosthetic mitral valve. The patient was referred to a regional cardiothoracic centre, and underwent a repeat mitral valve replacement and an aortic valve replacement.