Marantic endocarditis in children and young adults: clinical and pathological findings.

The clinical and pathologic findings of 7 children and young adults with marantic endocarditis are reviewed. Cerebral embolic infarction attributable to the marantic vegetations occurred in 3 patients. The most common neurologic findings were altered mental status, seizures, and hemiplegia. Five of the 7 patients had had cardiac catheterization. Sepsis, pneumonia, hypoxia, disorders of coagulation, and renal failure were frequently present in these seriously ill patients. In each instance, the diagnosis of marantic endocarditis was unsuspected and established only at autopsy.