title: Management of patients with suspected (peri-)myocarditis and inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Inflammatory cardiomyopathy and myocarditis are considered acquired forms of dilated cardiomyopathy. Whereas consensus documents on the diagnosis of myocarditis and perimyocarditis do exist, guidelines on the specific treatment have been established only for the management of pericardial diseases, which at least partly can be applied in analogy to myocarditis. Presently, feasible clinical pathways are available, which can lead to a correct diagnosis and specific treatment. This is illustrated with two cases of fulminant myocarditis, in one with successful diagnosis and treatment of a cardiac sarcoid and another one in which diagnostic nihilism led to a lethal outcome in giant cell myocarditis at necropsy. A case of active parvo B19-positive myocarditis demonstrates the role of immunoglobulin treatment under these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine - Cardiology, UKGM GmbH and Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043, Marburg, Germany. Bermaisch@aol.com
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maisch
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koelsch
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Funck
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pankuweit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002309:Cardiology / Q000592:standards*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents