Endocardectomy for the surgical treatment of endocardial fibrosis of the left ventricle.

Two patients with endomyocardial fibrosis of the left ventricle were treated by endocardectomy plus mitral valve replacement. In both cases the results of surgery were satisfactory. No consequences related to eosinophilia, which was present before operation in one of them, were noted. The poor prognosis of this progressive disease and the inefficiency of medical treatment compared with the good surgical results already reported from various centres encourage early operation for all patients with endomyocardial fibrosis who have symptoms. Because of the pathophysiology of the disease, endocardectomy should be attempted in all cases and anti-coagulant treatment continued for life.