title: Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy: A Current View on the Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
abstract: Inflammatory cardiomyopathy is defined as inflammation of the heart muscle associated with impaired function of the myocardium. In our region, its etiology is most often viral. Viral infection is a possible trigger of immune and autoimmune mechanisms which contributed to the damage of myocardial function. Myocarditis is considered the most common cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. Typical manifestation of this disease is heart failure, chest pain, or arrhythmias. The most important noninvasive diagnostic method is magnetic resonance imaging, but the gold standard of diagnostics is invasive examination, endomyocardial biopsy. In a significant proportion of cases with impaired left ventricular systolic function, recovery occurs spontaneously in several weeks and therefore it is appropriate to postpone critical therapeutic decisions about 3-6 months after start of the treatment. Therapy is based on standard heart failure treatment; immunosuppressive or antimicrobial treatment may be considered in some cases depending on the results of endomyocardial biopsy. If severe dysfunction of the left ventricle persists, device therapy may be needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital-International Clinical Research Center, Pekarska 53, 65691 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krejci
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital-International Clinical Research Center, Pekarska 53, 65691 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Dalibor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mlejnek
authors.affiliation: International Clinical Research Center and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sochorova
authors.affiliation: International Clinical Research Center and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Centre for Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantation, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nemec
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents