title: Transplantation for myocarditis: a controversy revisited.
abstract: Myocarditis is a major cause of end-stage heart failure and is responsible for up to 10% of cases of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). Worldwide, approximately 45% of all heart transplants are performed for IDC and up to 8% for myocarditis. Early reports suggested that survival after transplantation for myocarditis was poor and patients had an increased risk of rejection. More recently, larger case series suggest that overall survival after transplantation for myocarditis is similar to survival after transplantation for other causes. However, certain disorders, including cardiac sarcoidosis and giant cell myocarditis (GCM), require heightened surveillance for post-transplantation disease recurrence. We present the case of a 42-year-old man with recurrence of GCM 8 years after transplantation and review the literature on the role of cardiac transplantation for patients with myocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Moloney
authors.forename: Jim J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Alfred E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Leslie T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents