Lead-dependent infective endocarditis: an old problem, a new name.

This paper presents a literature review on right heart endocarditis in patients with a permanent pacemaker (PM) or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). We postulate putting a great deal more emphasis on separation of lead-dependent infective endocarditis from other types of infective endocarditis. We stress the need for screening patients with PM/ICD and pulmonary signs using transesophageal echocardiography. Antibiotic therapy and PM/ICD removal is the treatment of choice in such patients.