Vegetations in heart valve infections

Vegetations in heart valve infections

Infection of the heart valves is known as endocarditis. Vegetations in heart valve infections mean small masses attached to valves composed of bacteria, white blood cells and components of a blood clot. These are freely mobile and may break off from the valves to be carried by the blood stream and get lodged in other small blood vessels, blocking them.

Such blockage can cause damage to the local tissue and cause stroke, infection with collection of pus and swelling of vessels known as aneurysms which are prone for rupture. Vegetations on valves can be identified by  ultrasound imaging of the heart,  echocardiography. The video clip shows a mobile vegetation on the aortic valve between left ventricle and aorta. In addition, the video clip also shows a prolapse of the mitral valve.