Limitations of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis of pannus formation in prosthetic aortic valve and review of the literature

• Published in: World journal of cardiology Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 224 - 229
• Main Authors: Soumoulou, Juan Bautista, Cianciulli, Tomás Francisco, Zappi, Andrea, Cozzarin, Alberto, Saccheri, María Cristina, Lax, Jorge Alberto, Guidoin, Robert, Zhang, Ze
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Baishideng Publishing Group Inc 26-04-2015
• Subjects: aortic; Case Report; echocardiography; Fluoroscopy; formation; Pannus; Prosthetic; Transesophageal; Transthoracic; valve; Transesophageal echocardiography; Fluoroscopy; Transthoracic echocardiography; Pannus formation; Prosthetic aortic valve
• ISSN: 1949-8462; 1949-8462
• DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v7.i4.224

Pannus formation is a rare complication and occurs almost exclusively in mechanical prosthetic valves.It consists of fibrous tissue that covers the surface of the prosthesis either concentrically or eccentrically,resulting in valve dysfunction.The pathophysiology seems to be associated to a chronic inflammatory process that explains the late and insidious clinical presentation.This diagnosis should be considered in patients with high transvalvular gradients on transthoracic echo,and workup should be completed with fluoroscopy and transesophageal echocardiography.Treatment is always surgical and recurrence is rare.We present a case of pannus formation in a prosthetic aortic valve and a review of the literature regarding this disorder.