The myocardium in subacute bacterial endocarditis.

An evaluation of electrocardiographic tracings as an index of myocar(lial (lamage in survivors of subacute bacterial endocarditis wvas undertaken in a study of 76 fatal cases of the disease. Anatomic changes, plresent in all, inclu(ledl myocarditis, perivascular infiltration and fibrosis, Aschoff bodies, infarets, and intravascular emboli. Electrocardiographic tracings revealed changes which could be attributed to myocard(lial impairment confirmed at autopsy. Variation of pattern in serial records, although not diagnostic of specific (lisease, in(licated an active process within the mnyocardium. Correlation of the electrocardiographie tracings with pathologic changes was not complete, but was sufficiently close to demonstrate the diagnostic value of electrocardiograms.