title: Myocarditis - clinical course and 2-year outcome in 32 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute myocarditis is one of the most challenging diagnoses in cardiology. It is a disease with variable clinical presentation, progression and outcome.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess clinical characteristics and outcome of patients hospitalised with diagnosis of acute myocarditis from year 2006 to 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed hospital files of consecutive 32 patients admitted to our hospital due to myocarditis. All demographic, clinical and laboratory data were analysed and compared between patients with acute or subacute myocarditis. After discharge the patients were followed for 8-24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients were males (84%) in a mean age of 33 years. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters improved in 25 (78%) of patients during hospital stay. During follow-up decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was observed more often in patients with subacute than acute myocarditis (mean LVEF values of 49 vs. 61%, respectively). Patients with a subacute form of the disease more frequently required chronic pharmacological therapy and more often retired from occupational activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of myocarditis is still challenging. Careful history taking, serial laboratory, ECG and echocardiographic examinations are helpful in therapeutic decisions making and assessing prognosis. Patient with subacute myocarditis are more symptomatic than patients with acute myocarditis.
authors.affiliation: I Kliniczny Oddział Kardiologii, Swietokrzyskie Centrum Kardiologii, ul. Grunwaldzka 45, 25-736 Kielce, Poland. bw.kaplon@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wozakowska-Kapłon
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Szymczyk
authors.forename: Dawid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bakowski
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaskulska-Niedziela
authors.forename: Radosław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bartkowiak
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stepień-Wałek
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niedziela
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sosnowska-Pasiarska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents