J Heart Valve Dis. 2001 Sep; 10(5): 689-90.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis in a patient with Marfan's syndrome following acupuncture.

Nambiar P, Ratnatunga C.

Oxford Heart Centre, The John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, UK.

Active prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) as a complication of acupuncture requiring valve surgery has not been reported previously. We report a case of PVE in a patient with Marfan's syndrome as a complication of acupuncture, who underwent emergency redo aortic root and valve replacement with a homograft. This report highlights the need for prophylactic antibiotics before acupuncture in patients with prosthetic valves, and also describes the use of a homograft as an effective surgical strategy.