Patient with progressive chest pain and dyspnea after aortic valve replacement.

ABSTRACT: A 45-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with progressive chest pain and dyspnea 3 months after aortic valve replacement. He had been evaluated by his primary care physician and cardiologist and no diagnosis had been made. On arrival, the emergency physicians performed point-of-care ultrasonography, which showed a large hypoechoic collection compressing the right ventricle. This prompted further workup, including a computed tomography of the chest, which revealed a large fluid collection in the anterior mediastinum. Subsequently, cardiothoracic surgery was consulted and the patient was taken to the operating room for a sternal washout with evacuation of the collection.

SUBMITTER: Rizvi O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7593482 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature