Infective Endocarditis: Imaging to Improve Detection Rates

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an infection of the endocardium, but can involve any structure of the heart including prosthetic valves and implanted devices [1-4]. IE is a fatal disease with an in-hospital mortality rate up to 26% with half of patients having surgery during their hospital stay [1-4]. Echocardiography has played a key role in diagnosing IE, evaluating response to treatment, and predicting prognosis, however, has its own limitations. The limited anatomical information provided and lack of molecular activity monitoring has brought into question the use of other imaging modalities. Our aim is to discuss the roles of current imaging modalities can have in the diagnosis of IE.