Tuberculous Endocarditis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of death globally. TB is capable of infecting every organ in the body, and the heart is no exception. Tuberculous endocarditis (TBE) was first reported in 1892 and subsequently many other cases have been described, highlighting the significant morbidity and mortality associated with this manifestation of TB. TBE usually presents with miliary tuberculosis and most early cases were diagnosed on autopsy. With increasing application of prosthetic valve replacements in the treatment of infective endocarditis (IE), TB infections have begun to affect these as well as native valves. With the introduction of TB culture methods and drug therapy, the prognosis has improved. HIV and drug resistance are likely to make the management of TBE more difficult in the future. Large scale studies, both prospective and retrospective, are required to ascertain the true incidence of TBE whilst development of novel anti-TB therapy is also required to combat resistance. We present the first extensive literature review on TBE in over 75 years.