A chest X-ray showed moderate cardiomegaly with increased pulmonary vascularity (Fig. 1A). Both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed multiple new vegetations at the aortic valve (Fig. 2A) with severe aortic regurgitation. The right aortic sinus of Valsalva and right coronary artery was aneurysmally dilated and coronary artery-ventricular fistula drainage into right ventricle was observed. Her neurologic manifestation was considered as an embolic complication

of the vegetations and emergency operation was performed. Operation finding showed moderate Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical amount of pericardial effusion, multiple vegetations involving all aortic cusps and large sized right coronary artery communicated with right ventricular cavity, which needed aortic valve replacement, coronary artery-right ventricle fistula devision and obliteration. Identified organism by blood Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical culture was Streptococcus mitis. Her condition was rapidly stabilized with appropriate antibiotics after operation. She was discharged

uneventfully 3 weeks later and her chest X-ray showed normal heart size without any pulmonary congestion (Fig. 1B). Fig. 1 A series of chest X-ray. Preoperative chest X-ray showed moderate cardiomegaly with increased pulmonary vascularity (A). Cardiomegaly and pulmonary congestion after operation was resolved (B). In 8 weeks Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical after surgery, chest X-ray showed aggravated Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical cardiomegaly … Fig. 2 Representative

echocardiograms. Preoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed multiple vegetations attached to aortic valve (A). After uneventful aortic valve replacement, moderate pericardial effusion (PE) with typical constrictive physiology … In 8 weeks after surgery, she had sudden onset of pleuritic chest pain with orthopnea and generalized edema. Chest X-ray revealed marked cardiomegaly (Fig. 1C). Echocardiography showed Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical moderate amount of pericardial effusion with thickened pericardium, fibrin strands, multiple septations in pericardial space (Fig. 2B), inspiratory decrease of transmitral inflow (Fig. Adenosine 2C), and CI-1033 markedly dilated inferior vena cava with spontaneous echo-contrast and plethora. Postoperative effusive-constrictive pericarditis was final diagnosis and ibuprofen (400 mg 3 times daily for 3 weeks) and prednisolone (1 mg/kg daily for 3 weeks) was prescribed. Her symptoms were improved very dramatically and chest X-ray showed normalized heart size within 1 week (Fig. 1D) and echocardiography revealed dramatic disappearance of pericardial effusion and constrictive physiology (Fig. 2D). The steroid was tapered over 7 weeks with improvement of symptoms and signs. Steroid was discontinued. Chest X-ray showed no cardiomegaly (Fig. 1E). In 3 months after steroid discontinuation, she complained pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea again. Chest X-ray (Fig. 1F) and echocardiography (Fig.