What role does echocardiography play in predicting embolic events?
The role of echocardiography in predicting embolic events has been controversial. Studies have shown that risk factors associated with embolization include vegetation size >10 mm and mitral valve involvement. Vegetation length >15 mm has also been found to be a predictor of 1-year mortality. However, the effect of vegetation size on embolic potential appears to be dependent on the infecting organism, with large vegetations independently predicting embolic events only in the setting of streptococcal IE. In contrast, staphylococcal or fungal IE appears to carry a high incidence rate of embolization independently of vegetation size.