Severe Mechanical Hemolytic Anemia Due to Valvular Heart Disease Without Prosthesis

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Abstract
A patient is pre sented in whom a mitral valvuloplasty procedure for mitral insufficiency was unsuccessful and led to mitral regurgitation of markedly increased severity and hemolytic anemia. The patient subsequently developed congestive heart failure and a mitral valve replacement with a Starr -Edwards prosthesis was performed. Following this operation the hemolysis ceased almost completely. It is concluded that the hemolysis resulted from mechanical factors associated with marked turbulence of the blood flow through the incompetent mitral valve. This appears to be the 1st established case of severe mechanical hemolytic anemia reported in a patient with valvular disease without prosthesis material.