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Query: UMLS:C0014118 (endocarditis)
 15,629 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Left Atrial Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation is safe and effective for most patients. However a rare complication is thermal damage to the integrity of the normal physical barriers between the left atrium and the adjacent oesophagus due to the ablation process. This can lead to formation of an Atrial-Oesophageal fistula with sepsis, haemorrhage and systemic cardioembolism occurring even up to 2 months post procedure. The presentation is similar to endocarditis but localised instrumentation specifically Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) can provoke systemic cardioembolism. This is an important differential in those presenting acutely with a Pyrexia of Unknown Origin or endocarditis-like picture within 2 months of ablation therapy.
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PMID:An avoidable cause of cardioembolic stroke. 2522 64

A 64-year-old African American woman presented for defibrillator threshold testing (DFTs) after a recent hospitalization for ventricular fibrillation terminated by her ICD. She had a known history of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, rheumatic mitral valve disease s/p mitral valve replacement and a redo after subsequent endocarditis. In preparation for the DFTs, the patient underwent a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) to rule our left atrial (LA) or LA appendage thrombus. Patient was found to have a surgically closed appendage. Within the body of the closed appendage, a mobile thrombus was seen with clot free areas surrounding the thrombus. Doppler and contrast studies confirmed that there was no communication between the LA and the appendage. The patient underwent DFTs without complication and a follow-up TEE confirmed the presence of the clot in the non-communicating LA appendage.
J Atr Fibrillation 2013 Dec
PMID:Presence of A Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus After Successful Surgical Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage: A Case Report. 2849 12