An Aortic Flap from Endocarditis

Endocarditis might result in a chronic damage to heart valves and adjacent cardiac structures. A healed endocarditis of the aortic valve rarely leaves a sterile abscess in the aortic root. The abscess might appear as an intimal tear on subsequent imaging studies leading to a misdiagnosis of aortic dissection in a suspicious clinical context. It is important to recognize this uncommon complication and its manifestation on different imaging modalities.