Echocardiographic documentation of vegetative lesions in XXXX : clinical implications.

@entity1 @entity712 @entity532 @entity47 @entity884
Eighty-seven @entity1 with the clinical syndrome of @entity884 were examined by M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography. @entity1 were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of echocardiographically detected vegetative lesions. Group 1 consisted of 47 @entity1 with one or more @entity47 . Group 2 consisted of 40 @entity1 without evidence of @entity47 . Group 1 @entity1 had a higher rate of complications: emboli, @entity712 and the need for surgical intervention. Analysis of morphologic characteristics of the @entity47 in group 1 was of no predictive @entity532 in individual @entity1 . Two-thirds of the @entity47 persisted unaltered well beyond the period of bacteriologic cure without significant complications. No characteristic alteration of the @entity47 predicted the efficacy of medical therapy. Although the detection of @entity47 by echocardiography in @entity1 with the clinical syndrome of @entity884 clearly identifies a subgroup at risk for complications, decisions regarding clinical management made solely on the basis of the presence or absence of vegetative lesions are hazardous. Management of such @entity1 must continue to be based on the clinical integration of multiple factors.
