Late endocarditis-associated obstructive dysfunction of a tricuspid ball-cage-type valve. Doppler echocardiographic findings and therapeutic implications.

Thrombotic obstruction is rare in bacterial endocarditis involving prosthetic heart valves. A 45-year-old man who had three intracardiac, ball-cage-type prosthetic valves, presented with streptococcal septicemia. Major obstruction of the tricuspid Smeloff-Cutter valve and normal function of the two other prostheses were documented by Doppler echocardiography. Emergency replacement of the tricuspid valve alone was decided on the one basis of this echocardiographic diagnosis, and successfully performed. Operative findings confirmed the noninvasive findings.