[Ventricular tachycardia revealing viral myocarditis].
BACKGROUND
The first diagnostic hypothesis in a middle-aged patient presenting with inaugural ventricular tachycardia would be coronary artery disease. If the work-up lacks arguments for this etiology, other cardiac conditions may be involved (dilated cardiopathy, hypertrophic cardiopathy, valve disease arrhythmogenic dysplasia, long QT...).


METHODS
A 52-year-old male patient was referred for inaugural ventricular tachycardia. The initial work-up including echocardiography, coronography and the electrophysiologic study provided no explanation. The ventricular tachycardia was later attributed to viral myocarditis.


CONCLUSIONS
Viral myocarditis should always be entertained in patients with unexplained ventricular tachycardia, particular if a viral context is present. In such cases, antibody-labeled scintigraphy is the choice exploration. This noninvasive technique provides determining diagnostic information and helps orient patient management.
Mahé
I
I
Service de Cardiologie A, Hôpital Cardiologique, CHRU Lille.
Lacroix
D
D
Kouakam
C
C
Kacet
S
S
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists