[Mycoses of the heart].

There is an increasing frequency of heart mycoses. Authors identified 19 such cases between 1972 and 1991, 63% in the last 6 years (frequency was 0.1% in 17.661 autopsies of patients over 7 days of life). Males prevailed (17:2). Yeasts of genus Candida dominated, unusual etiology represented Candida parapsilosis, Torulopsis candida and Aspergillus restrictus. Sampling from vegetations or abscesses was a prerequisite for positive autoptic cultivation. Probable source of infection was found in 12 patients and 5 of them had an infected thrombosis of venous catheter. Mycosepsis comprised nearly equal number of endocarditides (mostly left sided) and myocarditides. Spread of endocardial infection into myocardium was rare, most myocarditides resulted from disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients. Endocarditides mainly complicated surgical interventions.