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Infective endocarditis
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The endocardium is the lining that covers the heart on the inside, both the walls of its chambers and its valves, the doors that swing open and shut with every beat. Infective endocarditis is an infection of that lining: microorganisms traveling in the blood manage to grab hold there, most often on a valve, and build up clumps on top of it called vegetations, like gunk stuck to the edge of a door that never stops moving.
That vegetation doesn't always stay put. It can shed fragments that the blood carries along until they reach a vessel too small for them and plug it, or that land in another organ and seed the same infection there. That's why infective endocarditis starts at one spot in the heart and ends up being a problem that can show up far away from it.
In brief
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart's chambers and valves.
Microorganisms in the bloodstream can attach to the endocardium, often on a valve, and form clumps called vegetations.
Fragments can break off from a vegetation and block blood vessels or carry infection to other organs.
A vegetation can form on the surface of a heart valve; if a fragment breaks away, it enters the bloodstream and can reach another organ.
Sources (2)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteHeart Inflammation - EndocarditisPublished
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteHeart Inflammation Research
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated