DEFINITION

Names have been introduced at various times descriptive of the pathologic changes occurring in heart valves following bacterial infections. Such names as simple acute endocarditis, benign, infectious, bacterial, chronic, malignant, septic and ulcerative endocarditis and more recently endocarditis lenta and subacute bacterial endocarditis have been suggested by clinicians. Litten,¹ in 1900, classified infections of the heart valves into acute, malignant and chronic, by the first two meaning infections causing in patients severe septic symptoms and death in a short time, by the last one mentioned those less severe and of much longer duration. Litten's classification prompted a lively discussion regarding septic or malignant endocarditis referred to by the early writers. Simons² prefers the term "bacterial endocarditis," a designation more accurate than "malignant," "septic" or "ulcerative." Libman³ . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]