[Infectious aortic valve endocarditis. Echocardiographic evaluation]

In the group of 37 patients (pts) with infective endocarditis of aortic valve comparative analysis of echocardiograms with intraoperative or pathomorphological findings was performed. Infection caused development of vegetations in 17 pts, cusp rupture in 7 and perivalvular abscess in 4 pts. Echocardiographic examination enabled diagnosis of vegetations in 16 pts. In 2 pts abscess cavity was shown between mitral and aortic annulus. Two-dimensional echocardiography provided more detailed data concerning number and localization of vegetation, and development of perivalvular abscess cavity. However cusps rupture was shown by M-mode echograms in 4 from 7 pts. In the course of antibiotic therapy 7 pts died: from 30 pts treated surgically the result of treatment was beneficial in 27. The examinations confirmed poor clinical prognosis of premature mitral valve closure for the patients with aortic insufficiency.