title: Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis in a newborn: case report.
abstract: Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (IGCM) is a rare cause of arrhythmia, heart failure and death in children. The etiology of IGCM is unknown. Endomyocardial biopsy and histological examination are essential for diagnosis. In our case, a one-month-old baby boy with no prior medical history died during breast-feeding. The gross autopsy and drug screen failed to disclose a cause of death. Hemotoxylen Eosin (H&E) stained cardiac tissue slides showed widespread and multifocal necrosis accompanied by mixed inflammatory infiltrate. Admixed with the infiltrate were fibroblastic proliferation and multinucleated giant cells in the absence of sarcoid like granuloma. Although myocarditis is usually thought to be a disease of older children, infants can also be affected. This entity can be the cause of some cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Doğuş
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Özdemir-Kara
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pehlivan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dilhan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Türkkan
authors.affiliation: Ankara Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hanife
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alkan-Alkurt
authors.affiliation: Ankara Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Barış
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akduman
authors.affiliation: Ankara Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karapirli
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D001344:Autopsy; D001706:Biopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: myocarditis; newborn