The objective of the study was to determine the current epidemiology of infective endocarditis (IE) and to evaluate correlation of blood and valve cultures with complication rates of the disease. During 1999-2001 138 patients, 91 (65.9%) males and 47 (34.1%) females with mean age of 50 +/- 16, were observed. The incidence of IE makes 0.0042% per year in Kaunas district, in-hospital mortality rate was 24.6%. Forty five patients had positive blood culture, 54.8%--negative blood cultures, 16.9% of valve tissue cultures were positive. Patients with positive blood culture had higher incidence of acute IE, vascular phenomena, peripheral abscess and toxic encephalopathy. Culture negative endocarditis presented itself with worse left ventricular function, more frequent immunologic phenomena, myocarditis, glomerulonephritis, cardiac operation and perivalvular leak. Positive valve culture was associated with more frequent perivalvular leak. Mortality rate did not differ in groups.