Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy

Myocarditis is an inflammatory process of the heart, which can be acute or chronic, and caused by a diverse spectrum of infectious agents, autoimmune processes, toxins, and drugs. Myocarditis, which results in injury to the cardiac myocytes, may cause cardiac dysfunction (called inflammatory cardiomyopathy), and exhibit protean signs and symptoms, spanning subacute heart failure, severe bradyarrhythmias and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and cardiogenic shock. The cardiologist must be aware of the types of myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy, and maintain a high index of suspicion in diagnosing myocarditis, noting that specific treatment and prognosis in myocarditis depends on the underlying etiology.