Management of complications of infective endocarditis with emphasis on echocardiographic findings.

This article reviews in brief the basic principles of echocardiography and their application in infective endocarditis. The role of echocardiography in relation to surgical decision making is emphasized. The special problems of vegetations, valve ring abscess, leaflet perforation, prosthetic valve endocarditis, and infective endocarditis in congenital heart disease are reviewed.