Aortic ring abscess and mitral valve aneurysm in aortic valvular endocarditis: enhanced diagnosis with transesophageal echocardiography.

Aortic ring abscess and mitral valve aneurysms complicating infective endocarditis have previously been described as surgical or autopsy findings. More recently, transesophageal echocardiography has been shown to be more sensitive than standard transthoracic echocardiography or other imaging modalities in detecting each of these complications. Since aortic ring abscess and mitral valve aneurysms virtually mandate surgical intervention, their early detection may be crucial. This report describes a 35-year-old male with congenitally abnormal aortic valve which became infected and in whom both an aortic ring abscess and mitral valve aneurysm occurred. These findings are discussed and the pertinent literature is reviewed.