[Evaluation of coronary arterial remodeling using intravascular ultrasound imaging].

A 65-year-old man was hospitalized with persistent fever (up to 39 degrees C) of 3 weeks' duration 9 years after aortic valve replacement with a Hall-Kaster prosthesis. Multiple blood cultures demonstrated beta-Streptococcus. Transesophageal echocardiography disclosed mobile vegetations at the prosthetic valve with normal valve function. A diagnosis of late prosthetic valve endocarditis was made. Therapy was begun with penicillin G, cefazolin, and gentamycin. On the 20th hospital day, he suddenly developed severe chest pain. Electrocardiography was consistent with acute extensive anterior myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography revealed that the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded in its proximal portion with an intraluminal filling defect, which was morphologically the same as the vegetation that had been demonstrated previously. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was performed, and coronary artery perfusion was restored 4.5 hours after the onset of chest pain. Transesophageal echocardiography performed 2 days later revealed that the vegetation at the prosthetic valve level had nearly disappeared. This is the first reported case of coronary angioplasty in a patient with acute myocardial infarction caused by prosthetic valve endocarditis in Japan.