Vegetation (pathology)
Encyclopedia
In medicine, a vegetation is an abnormal growth named for its similarity to natural vegetation
.
Vegetations are often associated with endocarditis
.
It can be made of fibrin
and platelet
s.
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
.
Vegetations are often associated with endocarditis
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...
.
It can be made of fibrin
Fibrin
Fibrin is a fibrous, non-globular protein involved in the clotting of blood. It is a fibrillar protein that is polymerised to form a "mesh" that forms a hemostatic plug or clot over a wound site....
and platelet
Platelet
Platelets, or thrombocytes , are small,irregularly shaped clear cell fragments , 2–3 µm in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes. The average lifespan of a platelet is normally just 5 to 9 days...
s.
Types
Certain conditions are associated with specific vegetation patterns:| Condition | Size | Infective? |
|---|---|---|
| infective endocarditis Infective endocarditis Infective endocarditis is a form of endocarditis, or inflammation, of the inner tissue of the heart, such as its valves, caused by infectious agents. The agents are usually bacterial, but other organisms can also be responsible.... related to Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccal bacterium. It is frequently found as part of the normal skin flora on the skin and nasal passages. It is estimated that 20% of the human population are long-term carriers of S. aureus. S. aureus is the most common species of... |
generally large | yes |
| rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after... related to Streptococcus pyogenes Streptococcus pyogenes Streptococcus pyogenes is a spherical, Gram-positive bacterium that is the cause of group A streptococcal infections. S. pyogenes displays streptococcal group A antigen on its cell wall. S... |
typically small | |
| Libman-Sacks endocarditis Libman-Sacks endocarditis Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a form of nonbacterial endocarditis that is seen in systemic lupus erythematosus. It is one of the most common cardiac manifestations of lupus .... related to systemic lupus erythematosus Systemic lupus erythematosus Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage... |
small | no (sterile) |
| nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) | small | no (sterile) |