[Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis: a contribution to the clinical differential diagnosis in culture-negative endocarditis].

Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis is rarely diagnosed before death. We report on 3 patients with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis to illustrate the clinical course of this disease that can cause severe systemic thromboembolism and may be the first manifestation of malignant disease. Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of culture-negative endocarditis.