[Changes in the clinical features of infective endocarditis in recent decade]

In order to know whether there are changes of the clinical features of infective endocarditis (IE) in recent decades, 66 cases of IE diagnosed from 1983 to 1992 were included in this study and compared with the IE patients of Beijing area from 1948 to 1963. The results showed the following changes in the recent decade: 1. Rheumatic heart diseases accounted for less and congenital heart diseases more of the proportion of IE cases when compared with materials of previous decades. Idiopathic mitral valve prolapse and valvular degeneration were found in some of the patients. 2. Cardiac operation and catheterization induced IE became more common, whereas oral infection incited IE less. 3. Skin lesion got much less so that the clinical manifestations of IE were atypical. 4. Hospital mortality decreased markedly.