Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium.
usually involves the heart valves
Endocarditis is characterized by lesions
mass of platelets, fibrin, microcolonies of microorganisms, and scant inflammatory cells.
either infective or non-infective, depending on whether a microorganism is the source of the inflammation or not
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the inner surface of the heart, usually the valves
The cause is typically a bacterial infection and less commonly a fungal infection
The bacterial most commonly involved are streptococci or staphylococci.
Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is most commonly found on previously undamaged valves
the vegetations in NBTE are small, sterile, and tend to aggregate along the edges of the valve or the cusps
NBTE does not cause an inflammation response from the body
