Echocardiographic features of an unusual case of aortic valve endocarditis.

In a patient with aortic valve endocarditis a myocardial abscess, complete heart block and acute aortic regurgitation developed. Echocardiography gave evidence of large aortic valve vegetations, and at operation vegetations were found to have destroyed the right coronary cusp and part of the noncoronary cusp. Following surgery the patient recovered. Echocardiography may prove to be a useful noninvasive technique to aid in the timing of surgical therapy in patients with valvular vegetations.