Treatment of serious heart failure by transplantation in giant cell myocarditis diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy.
We describe a 47-year-old man who had rapidly progressive heart failure caused by giant cell myocarditis with no response to steroid therapy. A successful heart transplantation was performed after life-threatening arrhythmias. The diagnosis was made by endomyocardial biopsy before transplantation, and it was confirmed by the histologic condition of the recipient heart. The patient has been on a triple-immunosuppression therapy with no signs of rejection or recurrence of giant cell myocarditis 23 months after surgery.
Nieminen
M S
MS
First Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
Salminen
U S
US
Taskinen
E
E
Heikkilä
P
P
Partanen
J
J
D001706:Biopsy; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology