Inflammatory heart disease: pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment of myocarditis.
Myocarditis is an uncommon cause of cardiac disease that can result in arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, and death. Myocardial injury in myocarditis is due in part to activated cellular and humoral immune components directed toward normal cardiac tissue. Although numerous therapies for myocarditis, including corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, have been applied in animal experiments and in human studies, none have demonstrated survival benefit over untreated controls. In many patients, myocarditis may spontaneously resolve. Information about myocarditis pathogenesis, manifestations, and treatment has been useful in disease management. Further research into the inflammatory nature of myocarditis may provide the basis for more favorable outcomes of intervention in this disease.
Olinde
K D
KD
Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216.
O'Connell
J B
JB
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014777:Virus Diseases
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents