[Mitral prosthetic valve endocarditis diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography--a surgical case report].

The patient was a 39-year-old female who had undergone mitral valve replacement 2 years previously. Staphylococcus epidermidis was detected on blood culture. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed vegetation attached to the left atrial site of the mitral prosthesis, whereas precordial echocardiography did not reveal any abnormal echo structure. The patient was performed an emergency operation, during which the echocardiographic finding was confirmed. We conclude that performance of transesophageal echocardiography is useful when clinical features suggest prosthetic valve endocarditis.