#bacterialvegetations

[drawittoknowitmedical]

Endocarditis = inflammation of the internal lining of the heart, called the endocardium.

Vegetations

Endocarditis is characterized by the formation of vegetations, which comprise micro-organisms and/or thrombotic elements. – Most vegetations are found on the valvular ring or leaflets, but they can also form on the walls of the heart; these are referred to as "mural" vegetations (aka, parietal vegetations). – Vegetations can ultimately invade and destroy the underlying tissues, or they can break free and become emboli.

Causes:

Three broad categories

Infective, which is characterized by the presence of pathogens in the vegetations; infective endocarditis is also referred to as bacterial endocarditis because bacteria are the most common culprits.

Non-infective endocarditis is characterized by sterile vegetations; this category is also referred to as marantic or non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis.

Culture-negative endocarditis occurs when an infectious agent is believed to be the cause, but is not identifiable by routine laboratory blood culture procedures.