Treatment of Libman-Sacks endocarditis by combination of warfarin and immunosuppressive therapy

Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. 2019 Dec;47(8):687-690. doi: 10.5543/tkda.2019.29213.

Abstract

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a clinical disorder that creates an increased risk of arterial or venous thrombotic events or pregnancy-associated complications and includes the presence of autoantibodies against negatively charged phospholipids. This syndrome is often associated with systemic autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a form of non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis and is infrequently seen in APS. There are few data documenting the echocardiographic response of APS valve disease to medical treatment. This is an unusual case of a young female patient with SLE and APS who had chorea and non-bacterial thrombotic aortic valve endocarditis. Echocardiography revealed that the vegetation had receded after a combination of warfarin and immunosuppressive therapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Echocardiography, Transesophageal
  • Endocarditis / diagnostic imaging
  • Endocarditis / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / administration & dosage
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / complications
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / diagnostic imaging
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / drug therapy*
  • Warfarin / administration & dosage
  • Warfarin / therapeutic use*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Warfarin