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Myocarditis: Update and Critical Assessment

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Abstract

Myocarditis is most commonly caused by a viral infection. Most cases are subclinical or only mildly symptomatic; however, patients can also present with heart failure, sudden cardiac death, or chest pain. Traditional noninvasive diagnostic tests are limited by a low sensitivity and specificity. The role of endomyocardial biopsy has been recently redefined but remains unclear for most patients. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is an emerging technique that holds promise to diagnose patients with suspected myocarditis noninvasively. However, currently CMR is not able to assess the severity of inflammation, nor to definitely detect the underlying pathogen. Hence, whether it is necessary to obtain detailed histopathological information using biopsies in addition to a preceding CMR study has to be decided in consideration of the individual circumstances.

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No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital, 219 Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

    Anja Wagner

  2. Division of Cardiology and Angiology, Elisabeth Hospital, Essen, Germany

    Oliver Bruder

  3. Division of Cardiology, Robert Bosch Medical Centre, Stuttgart, Germany

    Heiko Mahrholdt

Authors
  1. Anja Wagner
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  2. Oliver Bruder
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  3. Heiko Mahrholdt
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Correspondence to Anja Wagner.

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Wagner, A., Bruder, O. & Mahrholdt, H. Myocarditis: Update and Critical Assessment. curr cardiovasc imaging rep 3, 57–64 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12410-010-9015-y

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