INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS
Sections from the deformed heart valve ( fig.1 ) display acute inflammation, where dense neutrophil infiltration is seen ( fig.2, fig.3 ) and organizing inflammation where capillary proliferation and increase of macrophages are present ( not shown).
There are areas composed of necrotic tissue mixed with fibrinous material (fig. 4) and bacterial clumps ( fig.5 arrow). These areas are brittle and can cause infective emboli.
Higher magnification of bacterial clump is shown ( fig.6). Therefore this infective endocarditis is caused by bascteria.The identification of bacterial species can not be made definitely by histopathology alone but is practically revealed by hemoculture of the patient blood.