Cross-sectional and M-mode echocardiography identified vegetations in 82.6% and 78.3% of patients with infective endocarditis, respectively, but vegetation features did not predict clinical events.
Cross-Sectional (n=23)
Absolute Event Rate: 82.6% vs 78.3%
Cross-sectional and M-mode echocardiograms were performed on 23 consecutive patients with infective endocarditis. Both M-mode and cross-sectional echocardiography identified vegetations in 18 patients, 10 of whom required valve replacement within 1 month of presentation. Cross-sectional echocardiography alone identified a vegetation in one patient with a prosthetic valve. Neither technique identified vegetations in five instances. The size and shape of a vegetation on cross-sectional echocardiography did not accurately predict the need for early valve replacement of the incidence of major peripheral emboli.
Wann et al. (Mon,) conducted a cross-sectional in infective endocarditis (n=23). Cross-sectional echocardiography vs. M-mode echocardiography was evaluated on Identification of vegetations. Cross-sectional and M-mode echocardiography identified vegetations in 82.6% and 78.3% of patients with infective endocarditis, respectively, but vegetation features did not predict clinical events.