Successful surgical treatment for infective endocarditis during pregnancy

Abstract

We herein describe the case of a 31-year-old woman. In the 27th week of pregnancy, the patient was hospitalized because of fever and a lumbar backache. In the 29th week of pregnancy, she developed embolic symptom in her left lower limb. A cardiac murmur was detected, and a significant regurgitation of the mitral valve, along with a mobile vegetation at the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, was detected by cardiac ultrasound examination, thus resulting in a diagnosis of infective endocarditis. At the time of diagnosis, the fetus was estimated to weigh 1400 g, and it was delivered by cesarian section, with a mitral valve repair being performed 4 days later. The mother did well and was discharged from the hospital after remission on the 30th hospital day. The infant was admitted to the NICU and was discharged from the hospital with good development and no complications at the age of 59 days, weighing 3066 g. Cardiac surgery under extracorporeal circulation in pregnant women is rare, and it is believed to have a high mortality rate for both the mothers and fetuses. On the other hand, the survival rate of low birth weight infants has improved as a consequence of progress in neonatal care. We herein report a case of mitral valve repair in the second trimester with a good outcome for both the mother and the infant.