Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008; 56(7): 426-428
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-989493
Short Communications

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Intramural Hematoma of a Cryopreserved Aortic Homograft

L. Botta1 , G. Kloppenburg2 , A. Yilmaz2
  • 1Cardiac Surgery, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
  • 2Cardiothoracic Surgery, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, Netherlands
Further Information

Publication History

Received October 13, 2007

Publication Date:
22 September 2008 (online)

Introduction

Infective endocarditis involving native valves (NVE) is associated with a lower in-hospital mortality and better prognosis than prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) [1]. PVE is a life-threatening surgical complication which can be treated with cryopreserved homografts (CH) since they have shown a good resistance to early re-infection combined with an acceptable long-term durability. Nevertheless the homograft itself can be susceptible to various diseases [2], [3]. In this paper we describe the incidental, intraoperative finding and subsequent treatment of an extensive intramural hematoma (IH) of a cryopreserved homograft already affected by severe post-infective aortic regurgitation. Due to its rarity, there is no general consensus on how best to handle this complex and quite exceptional allograft disease.

References

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Dr. MD Luca Botta

University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital
Cardiac Surgery

Via Massarenti 9

40138 Bologna

Italy

Phone: + 39 05 16 36 33 61

Fax: + 39 0 51 34 59 90

Email: allucbot@tiscali.it