Myocarditis in siblings leading to chronic heart failure.
Two brothers, aged 7 and 9, presented 4 years apart with progressive heart failure following a probable viral infection. Electrocardiograms of both showed widespread precordial Q waves. Cardiac catheterization in each case revealed almost equal right atrial, right ventricular and pulmonary artery pressures and poorer contraction of the right than left ventricle. High neutralizing antibody titres to Coxsackie B4 virus were found in the siblings and their mother. Widespread post-myocarditic scarring of both ventricles was found at autopsy on the elder brother. These findings provide further evidence that Coxsackie myocarditis accounts for some cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and suggest that familial factors may be important.
D000293:Adolescent; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002648:Child; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000235:genetics*