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Valve Disease Associated with Ergot Alkaloid Use: Echocardiographic and Pathologic Correlations
- Margaret M. Redfield, MD;
- Walter J. Nicholson, MD;
- William D. Edwards, MD; and
- A. Jamil Tajik, MD
Excerpt
Ergot alkaloid preparations such as ergotamine (Cafergot, Sandoz, East Hanover, New Jersey) and methysergide (Sansert, Sandoz) are used to treat migraine headache. Characteristic histologic changes are seen in patients with methysergide-induced valvular disease (primarily mitral and aortic regurgitation) (1, 2). Recently, ergotamine-induced valvular disease was documented pathologically (3). We report the echocardiographic and pathologic features of five patients with valvular disease associated with long-term ingestion of ergot alkaloids.
Patients Case Histories
All patients were using ergot alkaloid preparations for treatment of headache. Patients were initially identified because gross pathologic findings were thought to be unusually severe for rheumatic disease. The
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Article and Author Information
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From Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota; and Cardiac Diagnostics Associates, York, Pennsylvania. For current author addresses, see end of text.
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Requests for Reprints: Margaret M. Redfield, MD, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
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Current Author Addresses: Drs. Redfield, Nicholson, Edwards, and Tajik: Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
