title: Successful treatment of severe heart failure caused by idiopathic giant cell myocarditis.
abstract: A 53-year-old woman presented with increasing dyspnea over one month and signs of severe heart failure. A right ventricular biopsy revealed giant cell myocarditis. She was treated with a combination of cyclosporine, imuran and prednisone and improved dramatically--left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 13 to 66%. That such a response is possible has important implications with respect to both the etiology and treatment of this rare disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Desjardins
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone