A patient presents with fatigue, fever, and night sweats. An echocardiogram showed vegetation.
Which disease is described?
A.
Pericarditis
B.
Myocarditis
C.
Endocarditis
D.
Stenosis
The correct answer and Explanation is :
The disease described is C. Endocarditis.
Explanation:
Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves, typically caused by bacteria. This disease is characterized by the formation of vegetations—abnormal growths of tissue and microorganisms—on heart valves. These vegetations can be observed via echocardiography, which helps in diagnosing endocarditis.
The symptoms described—fatigue, fever, and night sweats—are common in endocarditis. Fatigue results from the body’s response to the infection and the heart’s reduced efficiency. Fever is a direct result of the body’s inflammatory response to the infection. Night sweats often accompany infections and can be a part of the systemic response to endocarditis.
Endocarditis can present in two forms: acute and subacute. Acute endocarditis typically occurs rapidly and is often caused by highly virulent organisms like Staphylococcus aureus. Subacute endocarditis has a more gradual onset and is commonly caused by less aggressive organisms, such as Streptococcus viridans.
The formation of vegetations on heart valves is a hallmark of endocarditis, and these vegetations can lead to valve dysfunction, embolic events (where pieces of the vegetation break off and travel to other parts of the body), and damage to other organs.
The other conditions listed—pericarditis, myocarditis, and stenosis—have distinct presentations and do not typically feature vegetations on echocardiogram:
- Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the outer lining of the heart, and usually presents with chest pain and a pericardial friction rub, not vegetations.
- Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium) and can cause symptoms similar to those of endocarditis, such as fatigue and fever, but it is not characterized by vegetations on heart valves.
- Stenosis refers to the narrowing of heart valves and does not involve vegetations but rather affects blood flow through the valves.
Thus, given the presence of vegetations and the symptoms described, endocarditis is the most accurate diagnosis.