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Clinical management of acute myocarditis and cardiomyopathy

  • Chapter
Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy (DCMi)

Part of the book series: Progress in Inflammation Research ((PIR))

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Abstract

Several forms of acute myocarditis may present as new onset cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. These include myocarditis characterized as fulminant, giant cell, chronic acute, eosinophilic (particularly necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis), peripartum, Lyme, small pox vaccine related, HIV-related, and acute myocardial infarction caused by myocarditis with coronary arteritis. Treatment of each of these disorders is dependent upon considering the diagnosis, performing endomyocardial biopsy for histologic confirmation, and use of immune modulating or immunosuppressive therapy in appropriate candidates. Some forms of acute myocarditis may resolve spontaneously without any treatment including fulminant myocarditis, peripartum, and small pox vaccine related myocarditis. Others require immune modulating therapy including giant cell myocarditis, and eosinophilic myocarditis; while others require specific treatment for the infectious or autoimmune pathogen responsible including eosinophilic myocarditis, Lyme myocarditis, and HIV-related. We currently have the technology which may allow us to determine if the 50% of patients with “idiopathic” cardiomyopathy in fact have a viral or post viral autoimmune related compromise of cardiac function.

Dr. Baughman died during the final preparation of this book. We thank Dr. Baughman and his coworkers for his book chapter, and his internationally acknowledged, significant and unforgettable work in the field of myocarditis. M. Noutsias and H.P. Schultheiss

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Heart Disease Section, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Kenneth L. Baughman

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  1. Kenneth L. Baughman
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  1. Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hinderburgdamm 30, 12200, Berlin, Germany

    Heinz-Peter Schultheiss  & Michel Noutsias  & 

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Baughman, K.L. (2010). Clinical management of acute myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. In: Schultheiss, HP., Noutsias, M. (eds) Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy (DCMi). Progress in Inflammation Research. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8352-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8352-7_12

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7643-8351-0

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