A Perforated Mitral Valve Aneurysm: A Rare but Serious Complication of Aortic Valve Endocarditis Resulting From a Regurgitant Jet Lesion

Infective endocarditis has high morbidity and mortality rates. The aortic valve is most often affected in native valve endocarditis. Complications of aortic valve endocarditis range from local abscess and fistula formation, systemic complications secondary to thromboembolism and septic embolization, to congestive heart failure resulting from conduction system involvement and valve damage. A rare complication of aortic valve endocarditis is the occurrence of a 'jet lesion' on the mitral valve. Such a lesion, caused by an impinging regurgitant jet stream from a damaged aortic valve, can become directly and indirectly inoculated and evolve into a local infected aneurysm which might eventually rupture causing acute severe congestive heart failure and/or peripheral thromboembolism. We present the case of a 63-year-old man who presented with aortic valve endocarditis complicated by a perforated mitral valve aneurysm, congestive heart failure, and peripheral thromboembolism.