title: [102 patients with suspected myocarditis : Clinical presentation, diagnostics, therapy and prognosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myocarditis is a disease which is difficult to diagnose and which includes a risk of the development of dilated cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study 102 patients were included from the time period 2003-2013 after diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of myocarditis in the department of internal medicine at the University Hospital Halle (Saale).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the study participants 77.5% were male and the average age was 35.5 ± 14.1 years. The symptoms reported by the patients were angina in 46.1%, dyspnea in 38.2%, performance deterioration in 29.4%, palpitations in 9.8% and syncope in 8.8%. In 45.1% of patients, symptoms were preceded by a respiratory infection. All patients underwent an echocardiogram and in 36.5% it was possible to demonstrate a regional wall motion abnormality and in 20.4% a pericardial effusion. A myocardial biopsy was performed in 15.6% of the patients. The presence of cardiotropic viruses was investigated in 37.3% of patients but was detected in only 5.9%. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 82 patients of whom 33.3% showed a late enhancement and 11.9% a wall movement disorder. In this study four patients, all male, died and three suffered recurrent myocarditis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed the wide range of symptoms in myocarditis. Myocarditis is rarely severely manifested and in this study the mortality was 3.9%. For further optimization of the diagnostic and treatment algorithms, prospective, randomized studies would be desirable.
authors.affiliation: Brandenburgklinik Bernau, Bernau, Deutschland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Streuber
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I und Zentrale Notaufnahme, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Halle/Saale, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noack
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für diagnostische Radiologie, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Halle/Saale, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stoevesandt
authors.affiliation: Paracelsus Harz-Klinik Bad Suderode, Paracelsusstr. 1, 06485, Quedlinburg, Deutschland. axel.schlitt@paracelsus-kliniken.de.|Medizinische Fakultät, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, Deutschland. axel.schlitt@paracelsus-kliniken.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schlitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; Echocardiography; Myocarditis; Prognosis; Sports