title: Subtle infective endocarditis and congenital cardiac disease.
abstract: Congenital cardiac disease is recognized as a major predisposing substrate for infective endocarditis. We present three cases of unanticipated intraoperative discovery of vegetations in patients with congenital cardiac malformations without preoperative clinical, laboratory or echocardiographic evidence of infective endocarditis, and their successful treatment. The relevant literature is reviewed, with emphasis of the need to maintain a high index of suspicion for the presence of endocarditis during repair of congenital cardiac lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. achatzis@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chatzis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saroglou
authors.forename: Nicolas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Giannopoulos
authors.forename: George E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Sarris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004698:Endocarditis, Subacute Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000150:complications*; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents