Infective endocarditis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Diagnostic and management challenges

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can improve the symptoms and prognosis of patients with severe aortic stenosis who, due to a high expected operative risk, would not have otherwise been treated surgically. If these patients develop prosthetic valve endocarditis, their presentations may be atypical causing a delay in the diagnosis and treatment. The management is also complicated by their comorbidities, and surgical treatment may not be feasible leading to a significant morbidity and mortality. We describe a case of an 85-year-old man with TAVI prosthetic valve endocarditis successfully treated medically, discuss the challenges in the diagnosis and management of such patients, and review available literature on the incidence and outcome of the condition. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.