Archives des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux
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Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss · Dec 1993
Review[Cardiac and extracardiac abscesses in bacterial endocarditis].
Cardiac abscesses are observed in 20 to 30% of cases of infective endocarditis and in at least 60% of prosthetic valve endocarditis. The aortic valve ring is more frequently affected than the mitral valve ring. A cavity contiguous with a cardiac chamber forming a pseudo-aneurysm or a closed purulent collection, the abscess may extend to the neighbouring cardiac structures or to the ascending aorta. ⋯ The risk of secondary valvular dehiscence, often recurrent, is much higher when there is an abscess at operation. Extracardiac abscesses in cases of infective endocarditis are mainly observed in the cerebral and/or splenic territories. They may become the main problem, especially cerebral abscesses, but they rarely require surgery.