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Giant cell myocarditis associated with amoxicillin hypersensitivity reaction

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Abstract

We report a case of sudden unexpected death in an adult woman from florid myocarditis with necrosis, replacement fibrosis, and diffuse infiltration of the myocardium by eosinophils and conspicuous giant cells. Clinical history revealed that 3 weeks prior to death, shortly after commencing antibiotic therapy for the treatment of traumatic wound of a finger, she presented to the emergency room with a hypersensitivity reaction characterized by facial rash with edema and generalized pruritus. She was treated with antihistamines and discharged. The clinico-pathological correlation suggests a link between drug hypersensitivity and the giant cell myocarditis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Servicio Medico Legal, Av. La Paz 1012, Independencia, Santiago, Chile

    Soledad Martinez & Elvira Miranda

  2. Centre for Forensic Science and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Patrick Kim & Michael S. Pollanen

  3. Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, Government of Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Patrick Kim & Michael S. Pollanen

Authors
  1. Soledad Martinez
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  2. Elvira Miranda
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  3. Patrick Kim
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  4. Michael S. Pollanen
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Correspondence to Soledad Martinez.

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Martinez, S., Miranda, E., Kim, P. et al. Giant cell myocarditis associated with amoxicillin hypersensitivity reaction. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 9, 403–406 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-013-9418-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-013-9418-6

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