Detachment of the mitral valve anterior leaflet as a complication of aortic valve replacement.

Mitral regurgitation after aortic valve replacement is generally reported as a complication of a Manouguian's procedure for annulus enlargement. However, even if no annular enlargement procedure is performed, this complication may be encountered after isolated aortic valve replacement because of either extensive decalcification of the aortic annulus or progressive tension on the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve, caused by aortic valve sutures placed adjacent to firm or heavily calcified valve tissue. Routine transthoracic echocardiography may be inadequate for diagnosis of this condition; transesophageal echocardiography should be used both for preoperative diagnosis and for intraoperative management.

Composite graft endocarditis: repair with a mechanical prosthesis.

We report the case of a 64-year-old man who developed a mediastinal pseudoaneurysm due to severe endocarditis, 2 years after aortic root replacement with a prosthetic composite graft containing a mechanical valve. After a short period of stabilization and antibiotic therapy, the patient underwent surgery. The coronary buttons and the sewing ring of the composite graft were found to be detached from the graft and the annulus, respectively.