Vegetation (pathology)

In medicine, a vegetation is an abnormal growth[1] named for its similarity to natural vegetation.

Vegetations are often associated with endocarditis.[2][3][4]

It can be made of fibrin[5] and platelets.[6]

Types

Certain conditions are associated with specific vegetation patterns:

Condition Size Infective?
infective endocarditis related to Staphylococcus aureus generally large yes
rheumatic fever related to Streptococcus pyogenes typically small
Libman-Sacks endocarditis related to systemic lupus erythematosus small no (sterile)
nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) small no (sterile)

References

  1. ^ "Vegetation" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  2. ^ Miyata E, Satoh S, Inokuchi K, et al. (September 2007). "Three fatal cases of rapidly progressive infective endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus: one case with huge vegetation" (– Scholar search). Circ. J. 71 (9): 1488–91. doi:10.1253/circj.71.1488. PMID 17721034. http://joi.jlc.jst.go.jp/JST.JSTAGE/circj/71.1488?from=PubMed. 
  3. ^ Gotsman I, Meirovitz A, Meizlish N, Gotsman M, Lotan C, Gilon D (May 2007). "Clinical and echocardiographic predictors of morbidity and mortality in infective endocarditis: the significance of vegetation size". Isr. Med. Assoc. J. 9 (5): 365–9. PMID 17591374. 
  4. ^ "eMedicine/Stedman Medical Dictionary Lookup!". http://www.emedicine.com/asp/dictionary.asp?exact=Y&keyword=vegetative+endocarditis. 
  5. ^ "Pathology Education: Cardiovascular". http://www.pathology.vcu.edu/education/cardio/lab2.f.html. 
  6. ^ "eMedicine/Stedman Medical Dictionary Lookup!". http://www.emedicine.com/asp/dictionary.asp?exact=Y&keyword=vegetation.