The Reliability of Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis

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Abstract
The echocardiograms of 17 patients with proved infective endocarditis [bacterial and fungal] were surveyed to assess the reliability of echocardiography in this disease. Vegetations were present on 20 valves (11 aortic, 7 mitral, 2 tricuspid) at surgery or autopsy. Echocardiography correctly identified the abnormality in 11 valves. There were 8 valves with false-negative studies of which only 1 examination was technically inadequate. One false-positive echocardiogram was found. A negative echocardiogram does not exclude infective endocarditis. The size of the vegetation is not the only consideration in its detection echocardiographically. False-positive and false-negative studies are discussed.

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