Libman-Sacks endocarditis of the mitral valve was first described by Libman and Sacks in 1924. Currently, the sterile verrucous vegetative lesions seen in Libman-Sacks endocarditis are regarded as a cardiac manifestation of both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Although typically mild and asymptomatic, complications of Libman-Sacks endocarditis may inc...

Libman-Sacks endocarditis, characterized by sterile fibrofibrinous vegetations that have the potential to develop anywhere on the endocardial surface, was originally reported in 1924. The mitral valve is most commonly affected, followed by the aortic valve, whereas tricuspid and pulmonary valves are seldom involved. Libman-Sacks vegetations can be found in approximately 1 of 10 patients with sy...

Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a classic but rarely symptomatic manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, and valvular surgery is needed in a few cases. We present a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and Libman-Sacks endocarditis that progressed rapidly to severe mitral regurgitation that needed surgery; surgical valve repair was decided upon. The literature on this topic is reviewed.

Libman-Sacks endocarditis is characterized by sterile and verrucous lesions that predominantly affect the aortic and mitral valves. In most cases, patients do not have significant valvular dysfunction. However, patients with significant valvular dysfunction may present with serious complications such as cardiac failure, arrhythmias, and thromboembolic events. Recently, association of Libman-Sac...

The patient is a 34-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus and secondary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, who evolved with convulsive crises, partially controlled with an anticonvulsant, and auscultation of a cardiac murmur, whose investigation showed the presence of a mitral valve vegetation. Once the diagnosis of Libman-Sacks endocarditis was established, therapy with warfarin s...

In antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), there is a high prevalence of valvular heart disease which leads to increased risk of thrombo-embolic events, in particular, cerebrovascular events. We present a patient with cerebral infarction, previous deep-vein thrombosis, and miscarriages with positive lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies. Echocardiographic examination revealed mitral valve...

In 1924 Libman and Sacks published an account of atypical, sterile, verrucous vegetations on the heart in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). [1] Clusters of verrucae, looking like mulberries, were described on the ventricular surface of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve and found at postmortem. The leaflet and the chordae tendinae are often adherent to the endocardium of the ventricula...

S UBACUTE bacterial endocarditis involves the left side of the heart in nearly all cases. The complete descriptions of the disease by Libman and Friedberg,’ Blumer,2 and Middleton and Burke3 refer chiefly to this common type. The vegetations are confined to the right side of the heart in less than 4 per cent of the cases.4*6 In patent ductus arteriosus complicated by subacute bacterial endarter...

Inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, especially the valvular endothelium, chordae tendinae and mural endocardium was first recognized almost 350 years ago. Over the years it has had many names, but is now generally designated infective endocarditis (IE) and has an associated infectious agent. A sterile vegetative process can also affect the valves and is usually referred to as Libman-S...

was diagnosed definitively by Emanuel Libman (1872-1946) and his assistant, George Baehr (1887-1978), who at the time, together with William Osler and Thomas Horder in England, were the world's greatest authorities on endocarditis. In 1983 I initiated a search for the detailed bacteriological records known to have been kept by Dr Baehr. Dr ArnoldM Weissler, of Denver, Colorado, traced them to t...