R. Choussat et al., Perivalvular abscesses associated with endocarditis - Clinical features and prognostic factors of overall survival in a series of 233 cases, EUR HEART J, 20(3), 1999, pp. 232-241
Aims The purposes of this study were to determine the clinical features and
to identify prognostic factors of abscesses associated with infective endo
carditis.
Methods and Results During a 5-year period from January 1989, 233 patients
with perivalvular abscesses associated with infective endocarditis were enr
olled in a retrospective multicentre study. Of the patients, 213 received m
edical-surgical therapy and 20 medical therapy alone. No causative microorg
anism could be identified in 31% of cases. Sensitivity for the detection of
abscesses was 36 and 80%. respectively using transthoracic and transoesoph
ageal echocardiography. Surgical treatment consisted of primary suture of t
he abscess (38%), insertion of a felt aortic or mitral ring using Teflon or
pericardium (42%), or debridment of the abscess cavity (20%). The 1 month
operative mortality was 16%. Actuarial rates for overall survival at 3 and
27 months in operated patients were 75 +/- 10% and 59 +/- 11%, respectively
. Increasing patient age, staphylococcal infection, and fistulization of th
e abscess were found to be independent risk factors in both 1 month and ove
rall operative mortality. Renal failure was a risk factor predictive of ope
rative mortality at 1 month, whereas uncontrolled infection and circumferen
tial abscess were regarded as risk factors predictive of overall operative
mortality.
Conclusion The data determined prognostic factors of abscesses associated w
ith infective endocarditis.