title: A rare case of concomitant viral myocarditis and pericarditis in a 44-year-old patient.
abstract: Concomitant severe myocarditis and pericarditis are under-recognized or rare. We report a case of a 44-year-old woman who presented in shock after a week of a flu-like illness and several hours of severe back pain. Emergent echocardiography revealed cardiac tamponade for which pericardiocentesis achieved transient improvement. Unfortunately, the patient died 2 days later secondary to progressive cardiomyopathy and multi-system organ failure. Post-mortem studies of the heart were consistent with coxsackie virus myocarditis. Diagnosis and treatment of myocarditis and pericarditis are discussed, including clues to detecting concurrent disease processes.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Residency in Emergency Medicine, The University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Aleksandr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorenbeyn
authors.forename: Alan Jon
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smally
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012769:Shock / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy