Stigmata of infective endocarditis

• Fever (often spiking)
• Continuous presence of micro-organisms in the bloodstream in serial collection of blood cultures
• Vegetations on valves on echocardiography, which sometimes can cause a new or changing heart murmur, particularly murmurs suggestive of valvular regurgitation
• Vascular phenomena:

Septic emboli - mitral regurg -> LA dilatation -> ectopic foci -> stasis in LA -> formation of thrombi -> circulatory problems such as stroke or gangrene of fingers

Janeway lesions (painless hemorrhagic cutaneous lesions on the palms and soles)

hemorrhage: intracranial hemorrhage, conjunctival hemorrhage, splinter hemorrhages

• Immunologic phenomena: Glomerulonephritis, Osler's nodes (painful subcutaneous lesions in the distal fingers), Roth's spots on the retina, positive serum rheumatoid factor

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocarditis