How does endocarditis affect the kidneys?
Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) can develop several forms of kidney disease: a bacterial infection-related immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis (GN), renal infarction from septic emboli, and renal cortical necrosis [1-3].
Where is the most common location for endocarditis?
People at greatest risk of endocarditis usually have damaged heart valves, artificial heart valves or other heart defects.
Does endocarditis cause vegetation?
Infective endocarditis causes growths (vegetations) on the valves, produces toxins and enzymes which kill and break down the tissue to cause holes on the valve, and spreads outside the heart and the blood vessels.
What is complication of vegetation in infective endocarditis?
When the vegetation with infecting bacteria drops off, it will migrate with blood and cause embolism in the artery. During a report on 118 IE patients, 44 (37.3 %) patients have 46 definite regions of abscess in total and abscesses present more frequently in endocarditis from aortic-valve than other valves [17].
Can infective endocarditis cause renal failure?
Renal dysfunction associated with bacterial endocarditis can occur via a number of different mechanisms: immune complex deposition with glomerulonephritis, antibiotic-induced acute interstitial nephritis, acute tubular necrosis secondary to toxin or volume depletion, emboli causing renal infarction, direct invasion of …
Can bacterial endocarditis cause renal failure?
Conclusion: Acute renal failure associated with bacterial endocarditis remains a frequent clinical problem that is often associated with a fatal outcome. Patients with increased age, and the degree of thrombocytopenia were independent risk factors for developing acute renal failure.
What is the most common cause of infective endocarditis?
Approximately 80% of infective endocarditis cases are caused by the bacteria streptococci and staphylococci. The third most common bacteria causing this disease is enterococci, and, like staphylococci, is commonly associated with healthcare-associated infective endocarditis.
What is valve vegetation?
Endocarditis infection occurs along the edges of the heart valves. The lesions, called vegetations, are masses composed of fibrin, platelets, and infecting organisms, held together by agglutinating antibodies produced by the bacteria.
What is the most common complication of infective endocarditis?
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the most important complication of IE, which has the greatest impact on prognosis. Periannular abscesses are a relatively common complication of IE (42% to 85% of cases during surgery or at autopsy respectively), associated with a higher morbidity and mortality.
Which valve is affected in infective endocarditis?
The tricuspid valve is most commonly affected (50%), whereas involvement of the mitral and aortic valves is less common (20% each). The involvement of multiple valves is common. Pulmonary valve endocarditis is rare.
Why does splenomegaly cause infective endocarditis?
Splenomegaly occurs in 37% of patients with active infective endocarditis and in 64% of those with pros- thetic valve endocarditis (10). It is most often due to congestion, hyperplasia, and infarction (11). At present, the actual incidence of splenic abscess in endocarditis is unknown.
What is renal cortical necrosis?
Renal cortical necrosis is a rare cause of acute renal failure secondary to ischemic necrosis of the renal cortex. The lesions are usually caused by significantly diminished renal arterial perfusion secondary to vascular spasm, microvascular injury, or intravascular coagulation.
What is endocarditic vegetation in infective endocarditis?
Endocarditic vegetation is the pathologic hallmark of infective endocarditis and commonly appears as an irregular, mobile or fixed mass and is usually attached to the endocardium on the low-pressure side of a valve, chordae tendinae or ascending aorta.
What are the renal pathological findings of infective endocarditis?
Renal pathological findings in infective endocarditis The kidneys are commonly affected in infective endocarditis by a variety of complications of clinical significance. The commonest type of glomerulonephritis does not appear to be attributable to deposition of immune complexes.
What are the possible complications of endocarditis?
Complications In endocarditis, clumps made of germs and cell pieces form an abnormal mass in your heart. These clumps, called vegetations, can break loose and travel to your brain, lungs, abdominal organs, kidneys, or arms and legs. As a result, endocarditis can cause several complications, including:
How common is sepsis in endocarditis?
Endocarditis and Sepsis Sepsis and septic shock are severe complications that may arise from any type of infection, with poor early and late prognoses in the patients affected. A study on 894 episodes of infective endocarditis showed that 17.4% of the patients had septic shock at any time during hospitalization (28).