title: [The heart in cases of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections].
abstract: The heart can be the primary target for a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection (primary myocarditis/inflammatory cardiomyopathy). It can also participate in the "collateral damage" due to toxins, chemo- and cytokines, autoreactive antibodies or the native and acquired immune response through T- and B-cells, monocytes and macrophages (secondary myocarditis/inflammatory cardiomyopathy), when it is not the dominant organ of the disease. Infective agents show remarkable organ specificity: viral infections, toxic and autoreactive processes affect primarily the myocardium and the pericardium, whereas bacterial infections prefer endothelial surfaces and cause endocarditis and, less frequently, pericarditis. They are even discussed as part of the inflammatory process involved in coronary artery disease. Infective agents and their adequate diagnosis and treatment are discussed for these clinical entities according to current guidelines and clinical pathways.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin, Schwerpunkt Kardiologie, Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg, Baldingerstr. 1, 35033 Marburg, Deutschland. Bernhard.Maisch@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maisch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karatolius
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruppert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pankuweit
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004699:Endocardium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy