INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS - CLINICAL-FEATURES AND ANATOMO PATHOLOGICAL-STUDY IN 20 DECEASED PATIENTS

Aiming to know the principal anatomo-pathological findings in patients that died with a diagnosis of infective endocarditis, the clinical hi stories and necropsy protocols of such patients that died between 1984 and 1989 were reviewed. Twenty patients (11 male) aged 43.2 +/- 16.1 years were studied, In nine, the endocarditis was subacute, and 80% ha d a history of valvular or congenital heart disease. The principal cli nical complication was sepsis followed by neurological, nephrological and cardiac complications. The necropsy disclosed cardiac, nephrologic al and abdominal lesions in 100, 80 and 65% of patients respectively. In 65% of necropsies, neurological injuries were found (cerebral edema in 7 patients and hemorrhagic complications in 11). It is concluded t hat extra cardiac lesions are frequent in patients dying with a diagno sis of infective endocarditis.