Infective endocarditis: echocardiography as a method of primary visualization

In the modern world, the possibilities of cardiac surgery are expanding, which, along with the increase of the life expectancy of patients with prosthetic valves, intracardiac devices (ICD), degenerative heart valve diseases, increase the relevance of the problem of infective endocarditis (IE). Given the clinical significance of IE and the severity of its embolic complications, up to a fatal outcome, the use of optimal visualization methods comes to the fore. This review, based on a modern classification, presents the capabilities of first-line methods in the diagnosis of IE, namely, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TT and TE EchoCG). Both the main echographic signs of the disease and the ultrasound picture in a number of complications are discussed. Modern modified criteria for the diagnosis of IE are presented, including those incorporating data from visualization methods.