DEGENERATIVE VERRUCAL ENDOCARDIOSIS AND MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: REPORT OF TWO CASES ASSOCIATED WITH MUCUS-PRODUCING BRONCHOGENIC CARCINOMA

Abstract

Vegetations of degenerative verrucal endocardiosis involved mitral and aortic valves, respectively, of 2 women who died with mucin-pro-ducing bronchogenic carcinomas. Multiple emboli, including coronary with myocardial infarctions, were found in both. We agree with the immuno-allergic hypothesis that mucin or some protein from pulmonary tumors in high concentration affected the capillaries and stroma of involved values of the left heart in both patients, with consequent formation of nonbacterial verrucae. Complications of sterile degenerative endocardial verrucae (marantic endocarditis) may consist of secondary superimposed bacterial endocarditis as well as embolization. With antibiotics, uninfected vegetations of verrucal endocardiosis may be seen more frequently and assume greater importance.