[Pitfalls in the diagnosis of infectious endocarditis]

A group of 63 patients with infectious endocarditis (IE) (1991-1998) was subjected to a detailed retrospective analysis. The authors investigated the age of the patients, site of IE, type of infectious agent, incidence of coinciding diseases or interventions in the close premorbid period of IE, size of vegetation, incidence of embilizations, heart failure, indications for vital early cardiosurgery, number of deaths. From the clinical analysis it may be concluded: 1. There is a new group of patients with IE, who before development of the disease have no manifest cardiac disease who however frequently suffer from another coinciding disease; 2. There is a significant increase of dextrolateral IE (frequently "pacemaker" IE); 3. The ratio of staphylococcal strains in the etiopathogenesis of IE is rising; 4. The mean age of the affected patients is rising (as well as the age scatter); 5. IE is unfortunately frequently diagnosed only after embolization of the vegetation (mostly cerebrovascular attacks) in obscure febrile conditions.