title: The reliability of echocardiography in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis.
abstract: The echocardiograms of 17 patients with proved infective endocarditis were surveyed to assess the reliability of echocardiography in this disease. Vegetations were present on 20 valves (11 aortic, 7 mitral, 2 tricuspid) at surgery or autopsy. Echocardiography correctly identified the abnormality in 11 valves. There were 8 valves with false-negative studies of which only one examination was technically inadequate. One false-positive echocardiogram was found. A negative echocardiogram does not exclude infective endocarditis. The size of the vegetation is not the only consideration in its detection echocardiographically. False-positive and false negative studies are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D014261:Tricuspid Valve