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 Printable version |
Embolic events in infective endocarditis |
MT Cardio. Volume 1, Number 3, 236-42, mai-juin 2005, Revue
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Gilbert Habib, Ariel Cohen |
Summary : Embolic events are a frequent and life-threatening complication of infective endocarditis and are associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Embolic events may be silent in 20 % of patients and detected only with systematic non invasive imaging. The prediction of embolic risk is crucial in infective endocarditis and may lead to early surgical management. However, the individual prediction of the embolic risk remains a challenge. The best predictors of embolism are the size and mobility of vegetations, as measured by two-dimensional echocardiography. Large vegetations (> 15 mm) are associated with both a higher risk of embolic events (already for vegetation length > 10 mm) and death. Thus, echocardiography plays a key role in the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of patients with endocarditis, and in the prediction of embolic events. |
Keywords : infective endocarditis, echocardiography, embolism, prognosis, vegetation |
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