Transient left ventricular "hypertrophy" in a woman with meningoencephalitis.
We report the echocardiographic findings in a 27-year-old woman with viral meningoencephalitis and a positive test for cardiac troponin. Initially, the basal parts of the left ventricle were severely hypokinetic, whereas contraction in the mid-ventricle and apex was normal. A second echocardiogram obtained 19 days after the development of pulmonary edema showed a generalized, severe myocardial thickening, the left ventricular ejection fraction being normal. Three months after the initial examination the "hypertrophy" had disappeared. The serial echocardiograms along with a positive cardiac troponin led to the diagnosis of myocarditis, which can very rarely present with the echocardiographic picture of severe left ventricular thickening.
Maeder
Micha
M
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland. micha.maeder@bluewin.ch
Wolber
Thomas
T
Rickli
Hans
H
Ammann
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology