[Aortic Valve Replacement for Libman-Sacks Endocarditis:Report of a Case].

A 36-year-old woman with severe aortic valve stenosis was admitted to our hospital. She had been diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and had been taking prednisolone( 10 mg/day) for 22 years. As SLE patients with prolonged steroid use are known to be at risk of an aortic dissection and aneurysm, femoral artery was chosen for arterial perfusion to reduce a risk of aortic dissection. Aortic valve replacement was performed uneventfully, because the aorta was treated carefully during the operation. Negative microbial culture and pathological examination of the resected aortic valve demonstrated an atypical vegetation, the findings of which were typically characteristic of Libman-Sacks endocarditis in SLE. She was discharged without complications 23 days after the operation.