Eustachian and tricuspid valve endocarditis: A rare consequence of the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement

Authors

Harsh Rawal, Advocate Aurora Health
Udit Joshi, Cardiovascular Medicine, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, USA.
Jai Parekh, Cardiology, University of Iowa, Iowa city, USA.

Recommended Citation

Rawal H, Joshi U, Parekh J. Eustachian and Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis: A Rare Consequence of the Automatic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement. Cureus. 2021;13(12):e20740. Published 2021 Dec 27. doi:10.7759/cureus.20740

Affiliations

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Abstract

Eustachian valve (EV) is usually a rudimentary structure in adults. It is an embryological remnant of sinus venosus that directs oxygenated blood from the inferior vena cava across the foramen ovale and into the left atrium. Intravenous drug use is most commonly associated with infective endocarditis of the right-sided heart structures. Other documented causes of such an occurrence are intracardiac devices like pacemakers and central venous catheters. Patients presenting with concerns of infection and embolic phenomenon should promptly undergo evaluation for infective endocarditis. Although an embryological remnant, the eustachian valve normally regresses after birth, except in a minority of the patients, it persists as a vestigial structure. Here we present an unusual case involving infective endocarditis of the eustachian valve and tricuspid valve both in a patient with recent automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) placement and history of IV drug abuse and its systemic consequences in a patient with patent foramen ovale.

Document Type

Article

PubMed ID

35111432