title: Myocardial recovery after mechanical support for acute myocarditis: is sustained recovery predictable?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  At present, myocardial recovery with mechanical support for acute myocarditis is a more frequently observed issue. However, predictive parameters of a sustained myocardial recovery are still under investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two recent cases of mechanical support for acute lymphocytic myocarditis with two different outcomes are reported. Literature about this disease and predictability of a sustainable myocardial recovery are reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute lymphocytic myocarditis is an individual entity whose outcome is associated with the importance of healed cell damage. Unfortunately, there are no available means of quantifying the fibrotic scar and endomyocardial biopsy has a high percentage of false-negative results. Echocardiographic assessment of systolic and diastolic cardiac function is difficult while under mechanical support and its significance is not obvious. Forthcoming development of Doppler could better correlate myocardial contractility and histology to be predictive of a sustained recovery after acute myocarditis under mechanical support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-lasting recovery after mechanical support for acute myocarditis remains unpredictable in our experience. More predictive factors are needed.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Thoracique et Cardiovasculaire, Hopital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France. loisance@univ-paris12.fr
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Houël
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vermes
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Tixier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Besnerais
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Benhaiem-Sigaux
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Loisance
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis