Acute mitral valvular obstruction from infective endocarditis: echocardiographic diagnosis and report of the second successfully treated case.

Severe mitral stenosis of rapid onset and progression was observed in a patient with infective endocarditis superimposed upon mild rheumatic mitral valvular stenosis. This severe stenosis resulted from large vegetations impinging upon the mitral valve orifice. Preoperative studies indicating mitral stenosis with vegetations and pulmonary edema were followed by emergency mitral valve replacement, which was sucessful.