Clinical forms of infective endocarditis in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital in 2002–2005

Objectives. To determine the incidence and distribution of clinical forms of infective endocarditis and to compare these data with data of 1983–1993.
Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 116 patients with infective endocarditis treated in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital in 2002–2005 was performed. The data were compared with analogical data of 1983–1993.
Results. During 2002–2005, 55 (47.4%) patients presented with classic symptoms of infective endocarditis. In 61 cases, atypical clinical manifestations were observed: 19 patients presented with heart failure symptoms, 14 patients with embolic symptoms, 9 with pulmonary manifestations, and 5 patients with septic manifestations. There were three cases of nephritic form, three cases of rheumatic form, three cases of meningoencephalitic form, and two cases of ophthalmic form. In three cases, pacemaker endocarditis was seen. During the period of 1983–1993, 15 patients with infective endocarditis were treated annually in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital; in 2002–2005, this number increased to 29 cases per year. More cases of embolic and pulmonic clinical forms of infective endocarditis were diagnosed as compared to the data of 1983–1993 (P<0.05). There were more cases of primary endocarditis in 2002–2005 than in 1983–1993 (36.2% and 23.8%, respectively, P<0.05).
Conclusions. Typically, infective endocarditis manifests as classical symptoms, but in more than half of cases, atypical forms were observed, the most common of which were heart failure form and embolic form. Primary infective endocarditis was detected more frequently.