Infective Endocarditis: Which Are the Differences Related to Affected Valve and Organism

The characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) depend on many factors and variables related to the patient, organism(s), affected valve(s), and type of valve(s). There are obvious and important differences in presentation, invasiveness, pathology stage, and role and results of surgery depending on the affected valve and type of valve. Although some organisms, like Staphylococcus aureus, are more aggressive and invasive than others, most organisms will eventually be invasive and destructive over time. However, invasive disease beyond the valve annulus is primarily a left-sided valve phenomenon associated with worse outcomes, especially for the mitral valve.