Heart muscle inflammation

Description

Myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). This disease may be caused by some infection (usually viral) or complication of some previous disease, injury, radiation therapy or toxic reactions to medicines. An inflammation of the sheath that envelops the heart (pericarditis) may also occur. Severity of the disease varies greatly, therefore prognosis vary, as well. Many people recover completely. Others have permanent damage and heart failure.

Symptoms

Chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, loss of consciousness, intolerance to physical activities. It may be without any symptoms.

Overview

Anamnesis will be taken and medical examination will be done. Tests involve blood analysis, electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) and echocardiogram. A cardiac catheterization may be done in order to exclude diseases of the coronary artery especially in persons older than 40. Biopsy of heart muscle (endomyocardial biopsy) is recommended in some cases.

Tests

Complete blood count (CBC), biochemical blood analysis, CT scan, D-dimer, electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), troponin test, analysis of urine and X-rays.

Additional analyses

Hemoculture, detection of the antibodies that react against heart muscle and body, biopsy of heart muscle (endomyocardial biopsy), echocardiogram.

Specialists

Cardiology

Therapy

If the cause of inflammation has been diagnosed the treatment will be directed at that contition. Without specific diagnosis therapy with medicines for treating heart failure and preventing the failure impairement will be applied. Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) may require additional medicines, pacemaker or automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD).