Tags: Disease.
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves (native or prosthetic valves). Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum the chordae tendineae the mural endocardium or even the surfaces of intracardiac devices. Endocarditis is characterized by a prototypic lesion the vegetation which is a mass of platelets fibrin microcolonies of microorganisms and scant inflammatory cells.
