Perivalvular leaks are usually caused by suture interruption in prosthetic valves or infective endocarditis. Traumatic mitral annular dehiscence is a very uncommon event. We present a rare case of severe mitral regurgitation secondary to perivalvular abnormal communication in a 35-year-old man with a history of blunt chest trauma. He presented with symptoms of cough and chest tightness for 3 months. Preoperative two-dimensional and real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography clearly showed the position and size of the perivalvular abnormal communication and the incident damage of the left ventricular wall. The patient finally underwent successful surgical repair.
© 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.