Myocardial abscess: a rare complication of valvular endocarditis demonstrated by 3D contrast echocardiography

Myocardial abscess is a rare and often fatal complication of valvular endocarditis. We present a case of a patient with aortic valve endocarditis whose post-operative course was complicated by a large left ventricular abscess. The spatial location of the defect was difficult to assess with 2D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE); however, real-time 3D contrast TTE allowed us to visualize the full extent of the defect and its precise anatomical location, prior to successful surgical resection.