Infective Endocartidis

Abstract

Nearly all adult patients with congenital heart disease (repaired, palliated, or unoperated) are at risk of infective endocarditis. Echocardiography plays an important role in the diagnosis and follow up of patients with endocarditis, and its unique high frame rate makes it ideal for detecting even small vegetations that could easily be missed by other noninvasive imaging techniques. Echocardiography also assists in clinical decision making, for example, surgical intervention during the treatment period. The most common lesions susceptible to superimposed infection, are those of the left ventricular outflow tract, which include subaortic stenosis, aortic valve disease, and post aortic valve replacement. The second high risk group of lesions are small unoperated ventricular septal defects and tetrology of Fallot.