title: Cardiomyocyte apoptosis in cocaine-induced myocarditis with involvement of bundle of His and left bundle branch.
abstract: Cocaine abuse can cause degenerative and inflammatory alterations of the myocardium. Cocaine-induced myocarditis has been previously described, but mostly in chronic cocaine addicts. Among several pathogenetic mechanisms of cocaine-related myocardial damage, the myocardial adrenergic stress and cardiomyocytes apoptosis have been recently proposed. We report an unusual case of myocarditis involving the bundle of His and left bundle branch and cardiac myocytes apoptosis in otherwise healthy occasional cocaine abuser.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iacobellis
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002036:Bundle of His / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D003042:Cocaine