XXXX : Is it worth searching for?

@entity1 @entity794 @entity1151 @entity47 @entity340 @entity884
BACKGROUND: Only a few cases of @entity340 have been reported. Whether the eustachian valve is an uncommon site for a vegetation to be attached or whether the disease is missed because a systematic approach to this valve is not routinely performed in the search for @entity47 is not known. METHODS: Every @entity1 suspected of having @entity884 undergoes a specific approach, which includes a systematic study of the eustachian valve. In 10 @entity1 with large valves but without signs and symptoms of @entity884 , we identified 2 specific findings: width <3 mm and a regular oscillating movement. A blinded evaluation in the 10 control subjects and 30 @entity1 with right-sided @entity884 , including the 5 with @entity340 , showed an agreement of 97% (39/40). RESULTS: Five of 152 @entity1 with right-sided @entity884 were found to have @entity340 (3.3%). @entity1 were young (age range 22-34 years) and all had predisposing factors (3 intravenous drug abusers, 2 central venous lines), fever, and @entity1151 . @entity794 was cultured in all cases. Tricuspid involvement was found in 4 @entity1 , and only 1 @entity1 had isolated @entity340 . All @entity1 did well with culture-guided antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that @entity340 may be more frequent than is believed. Thus a systematic interrogation of the eustachian valve should be included in the echocardiographic examination of a @entity1 suspected of having @entity884 .
