Prosthetic heart valve endocarditis

Prosthetic heart valve endocarditis is a severe, life-threatening cardiovascular infection involving an implanted mechanical or biological heart valve prosthesis and adjacent cardiac structures Arising primarily from bacterial or occasionally fungal colonization, it is clinically categorized as early-onset, often secondary to perioperative contamination, or late-onset, typically resulting from community-acquired bacteremia

Prosthetic heart valve endocarditis is a severe, life-threatening cardiovascular infection involving an implanted mechanical or biological heart valve prosthesis and adjacent cardiac structures

Arising primarily from bacterial or occasionally fungal colonization, it is clinically categorized as early-onset, often secondary to perioperative contamination, or late-onset, typically resulting from community-acquired bacteremia Pathophysiologically, microbial adherence triggers biofilm formation and localized tissue destruction, frequently resulting in paravalvular abscesses, valve dehiscence, severe regurgitation, and systemic embolization

Pathophysiologically, microbial adherence triggers biofilm formation and localized tissue destruction, frequently resulting in paravalvular abscesses, valve dehiscence, severe regurgitation, and systemic embolization Clinically, affected patients often present with persistent fever, newly developed or altered cardiac murmurs, acute heart failure, and systemic septic or embolic manifestations