Echocardiographic Findings in Infective Endocarditis

Echocardiography has an established role in evaluation of patients with infective endo­carditis. Positive echocardiogram is one of the Duke’s major critera for infective endocarditis. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocar­diography can localize the vegetations, demon­strate infective complications such as abscess­es, local mycotic aneurysms, or fistulas. The valve dysfunction is assessed by Doppler echo­cardiography. The sensitivity for detection of endocarditic lesions is much greater by trans­esophageal than by transthoracic echocardio­graphy. Transesophageal echocardiography is most important in evaluating infective endo­carditis in prosthetic valve endocarditis. Echo­cardiography has an important role in manage­ment of patients with infective endocarditis and in decision making about the necessity and tim­ing of surgical intervention.