Aortico-left atrial fistula in aortic valve endocarditis.

Aortic root abscess is a well-known complication of aortic valve endocarditis. This report describes the two-dimensional echocardiographic findings in a patient with aortic valve endocarditis whose course was complicated by a posterior aortic root abscess which ruptured into the left atrium creating an aortico-left atrial fistula, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously reported. These findings were confirmed at surgery.