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Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy

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MGH Cardiology Board Review

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Abstract

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.

See Chap. 24 Diagnosis and Management of Acute Heart Failure and Chap. 25 Chronic and End-Stage Heart Failure for more.

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Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Dr. Oyere K. Onuma and Dr. Judy Hung for their work on the previous version of this chapter. We are deeply grateful for Dr. James R. Stone for sharing microscopic images of myocarditis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Yuri Kim & David M. Dudzinski

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  1. Yuri Kim
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  2. David M. Dudzinski
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Correspondence to David M. Dudzinski .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Hanna K. Gaggin

  2. Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    James L. Januzzi Jr.

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Kim, Y., Dudzinski, D.M. (2021). Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy. In: Gaggin, H.K., Januzzi Jr., J.L. (eds) MGH Cardiology Board Review. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45792-1_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45792-1_27

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-45791-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45792-1

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