Version 1
: Received: 9 October 2024 / Approved: 10 October 2024 / Online: 10 October 2024 (06:21:16 CEST)
How to cite:
Anton, C. I.; Ștefan, I.; Duțulescu, S.; Stăniceanu, F.; Buzilă, C. A.; Stefan, A.-T.; Streinu-Cercel, A. Histological Findings In Infective Endocarditis – A Retrospective. Preprints2024, 2024100763. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0763.v1
Anton, C. I.; Ștefan, I.; Duțulescu, S.; Stăniceanu, F.; Buzilă, C. A.; Stefan, A.-T.; Streinu-Cercel, A. Histological Findings In Infective Endocarditis – A Retrospective. Preprints 2024, 2024100763. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0763.v1
Anton, C. I.; Ștefan, I.; Duțulescu, S.; Stăniceanu, F.; Buzilă, C. A.; Stefan, A.-T.; Streinu-Cercel, A. Histological Findings In Infective Endocarditis – A Retrospective. Preprints2024, 2024100763. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0763.v1
APA Style
Anton, C. I., Ștefan, I., Duțulescu, S., Stăniceanu, F., Buzilă, C. A., Stefan, A. T., & Streinu-Cercel, A. (2024). Histological Findings In Infective Endocarditis – A Retrospective. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0763.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Anton, C. I., Alexia-Teodora Stefan and Adrian Streinu-Cercel. 2024 "Histological Findings In Infective Endocarditis – A Retrospective" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0763.v1
Abstract
Background: Histological findings of infective endocarditis (IE) in mechanical valves present a complex diagnostic challenge owing to the lack of a precise definition. This ambiguity is further complicated by the natural degenerative processes that occur in the mechanical valves over time. Consequently, pathologists and clinicians face significant difficulties in distinguishing between genuine infective processes and normal wear and tear of mechanical valves. Methods: This retrospective study examined tissue samples from 93 patients who underwent surgical removal of mechanical heart valves, with 41 cases suspected of infective endocarditis and 52 cases of noninfective dysfunction. The researchers aimed to establish more precise histological criteria for distinguishing between these two conditions, focusing on three key features: vegetations, and inflammatory patterns. Results: IE in patients with prosthetic heart valves presents distinct histological features that aid in the diagnosis and differentiation of non-infective complications. Hallmark characteristics include vegetation and inflammatory infiltrates with neutrophils. Valve tissue specimens from patients whose mechanical valves were removed because of non-infectious complications showed a different histological profile. Inflammatory infiltrates were observed in approximately 26% of these cases; however, they were primarily composed of macrophages and lymphocytes rather than neutrophils. Conclusions: By emphasizing neutrophil-rich inflammation as a key indicator, clinicians and pathologists could more effectively distinguish between true infective endocarditis and non-IE that can occur in the mechanical valves. This distinction is crucial for appropriate patient management as the treatment strategies for infective and non-infective valve conditions differ significantly.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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