Achados ecocardiográficos em pacientes com suspeita diagnóstica de endocardite infecciosa Echocardiographic findings in patients with suspected infective endocarditis

Abstract

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os achados ecocardiográficos em pacientes com suspeita diagnóstica de endocardite infecciosa. MÉTODOS: Foram submetidos à investigação ecocardiográfica transtorácica e transesofágica 262 pacientes com suspeita diagnóstica de endocardite infecciosa. Analisadas imagens de vegetações, abscessos valvares e insuficiência periprotética aguda e avaliada a correlação com dados clínicos, laboratoriais, categoria diagnóstica e a evolução hospitalar. RESULTADOS: O diagnóstico de endocardite foi categorizado como definido em 127 (47,8%) episódios, possível em 81 (30,4%) e rejeitado em 58 (21,8%). Nos pacientes com o diagnóstico definido, foram identificadas 135 imagens de vegetações, 37 de abscesso e 6 de insuficiência periprotética. Vegetações foram mais freqüentes em pacientes com endocardite por estreptococos do grupo viridans e enterococos (p=0,02) e com duração dos sintomas OBJECTIVE: To assess the echocardiographic findings in patients with suspected infective endocarditis. METHODS: Two hundred sixty-two patients with suspected infective endocarditis underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic investigation. Images of vegetations, valvular abscesses, and acute periprosthetic insufficiency were analyzed, and the correlation with clinical and laboratory data, diagnostic category, and hospital evolution was assessed. RESULTS: The diagnosis of endocarditis was categorized as defined in 127 (47.8%) episodes, possible in 81 (30.4%), and rejected in 58 (21.8%). In patients with the defined diagnosis, the following images were identified: 135 vegetations, 37 abscesses, and 6 periprosthetic insufficiencies. Vegetations were more frequent in patients with endocarditis due to streptococci of the viridans group and enterococci (P=0.02), and with symptom duration < 10 days (P=0.001). Abscesses were more frequent in patients with symptom duration < 10 days (P=0.001). Periprosthetic insufficiency was associated with a greater need for surgical treatment (P=0.001). In patients with the possible diagnosis of endocarditis, 8 echocardiographic images considered compatible with vegetations were identified. In patients whose diagnosis of endocarditis was rejected, no vegetations, valvular abscesses, or periprosthetic insufficiencies were demonstrated. CONCLUSION: Our echocardiographic findings varied according to the diagnostic category. The contribution to both the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation should consider the pretest probability of the diagnosis of infective endocarditis.

Keywords

• Endocardite infecciosa
• ecocardiograma
• infective endocarditis
• echocardiography