title: A case report and literature review of Churg-Strauss syndrome presenting with myocarditis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a multisystem disorder characterized by asthma, prominent peripheral blood eosinophilia, and vasculitis signs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we report a case of CSS presenting with acute myocarditis and heart failure and review the literature on CSS with cardiac involvement. A 59-year-old man with general fatigue, numbness of limbs, and a 2-year history of asthma was admitted to the department of orthopedics. Eosinophilia, history of asthma, lung infiltrates, peripheral neurological damage, and myocarditis suggested the diagnosis of CSS. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a dilated hypokinetic left ventricle (left ventricular ejection fraction ∼40%) with mild segmental abnormalities in the septal and apical segments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By reviewing the present case reports, we concluded that (1) the younger age of CSS, the greater occurrence rate of complicating myocarditis and the poorer prognosis; (2) female CSS patients are older than male patients; (3) patients with cardiac involvement usually have a history of severe asthma; (4) markedly increased eosinophil count suggests a potential diagnosis of CSS (when the count increases to 20% of white blood cell counts or 8.1 × 109/L, eosinophils start to infiltrate into myocardium); and (5) negative ANCA status is associated with heart disease in CSS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Dengfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D015267:Churg-Strauss Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology