title: Fungal endocarditis: an autopsy study.
abstract: Between 1990 and 2002, 237 hearts were examined at autopsy, including 16 with infective endocarditis; 6 showed fungal endocarditis. The preceding pathology was chronic rheumatic heart disease in 2 patients, one of whom had undergone double valve replacement, 2 patients had been treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and one had protein-energy malnutrition. The underlying cause was unknown in one case. The organisms isolated were Aspergillus in 3 patients, Zygomycota in 1, Candida in 1, and both Candida tropicalis and Aspergillus in 1 patient. Immunosuppressed states are a cause of fungal endocarditis in India, although chronic rheumatic heart disease is the preceding pathology in the majority of patients.
authors.affiliation: Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. challa_sundaram@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sundaram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Challa
authors.forename: Aruna Kumari
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Prayaga
authors.forename: Laxmi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vemu
authors.forename: Jaishankar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadasivan
authors.forename: Murali Krishna Murthy
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jagarlapudi
authors.forename: Raghunadharao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Digumarti
authors.forename: Rajagopal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prabhala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001230:Aspergillus; D001344:Autopsy; D041022:Candida tropicalis; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009181:Mycoses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology