Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting Research Articles

Atypical arrhythmogenic presentation of giant cell myocarditis diagnosed after heart transplant

A 50-year-old woman reporting chest discomfort and found to have ventricular tachycardia (VT) on electrocardiogram (ECG) with a reduced ejection fraction on echocardiogram was transferred to our hospital (figure). The patient had no significant medical history.

Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting with Predominant Right Ventricular Dysfunction Treated Successfully with Heart Transplantation.

Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting with Predominant Right Ventricular Dysfunction Treated Successfully with Heart Transplantation.

Giant cell myocarditis presenting with acute heart failure

Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare and rapidly progressing form of myocarditis predominantly affecting younger people. We report a case of a 23-year-old athletic patient who presented with...

A Case of Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting with Rapidly Progressive Conduction Disease and Heart Failure

A Case of Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting with Rapidly Progressive Conduction Disease and Heart Failure

Acute Fulminant Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting with Syncopal Events Treated Successfully with Orthotopic Heart Transplant

ABSTRACT Myocarditis is a major cause of end-stage heart failure and is responsible for up to 10% of cases of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Giant cell myocarditis is a particularly fulminant disease that has a poor response to immunosuppressive therapy. Cardiac transplantation is the definitive treatment.

A Post-Mortem Diagnosis of Idiopathic Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting as Sudden Death: A Report of Two Cases

A Post-Mortem Diagnosis of Idiopathic Giant Cell Myocarditis Presenting as Sudden Death: A Report of Two Cases

Giant cell myocarditis: a rare cardiovascular manifestation in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare form of myocarditis with a median survival of less than one year. It has been reported to occur in patients with various underlying autoimmune diseases; however, no cases of GCM have been described in patients with clear evidence of underlying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The presentation of GCM may mimic that of lupus myocarditis, including an initial response to immunosuppression. Despite initial clinical similarities, lupus myocarditis and GCM are histologically distinct entities with dramatic differences in prognosis. We report herein a patient with a longstanding history of SLE, who presented acutely with myocarditis, responded well to initial immunosuppression and then subsequently died of progressive heart failure that was found to be due to GCM. Endomyocardial biopsy can help define diagnosis and prognosis of lupus patients presenting with myocarditis, and early referral for cardiac transplantation should be considered in patients diagnosed with GCM.

Giant Cell Myocarditis Responding to Immunosuppressive Therapy

An unusual case of giant cell myocarditis presenting with cardiogenic shock that dramatically responded to conventional dose of steroids and azathioprine is reported. Cardiac recovery was rapid, complete (left ventricular ejection fraction rose to 55% from 10%), and was accompanied by the disappearance of the inflammatory infiltrates including giant cells in the control endomyocardial biopsy. Maintenance of the recovery at 16 months of follow-up on a low dose of azathioprine suggests that giant cell myocarditis might be a heterogeneous disease having either a negative untreatable trend necessitating cardiac transplantation, or a curable substrate responding to immunosuppressive drugs.