Myocarditis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Heart, section through the middle

Heart, front view

Lymph tissue in the head and neck.

Myocarditis

Alternative Names:

Inflammation - heart muscle; Cardiomyopathy
Symptoms:

History of preceding viral illness
Fever
Chest pain that may resemble a heart attack
Joint pain or swelling
Abnormal heart beats
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Leg swelling
Inability to lie flat

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Total absence of symptoms is common

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Fainting, often related to arrhythmias
Low urine output
Other symtoms consistent with a viral infection -- headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, sore throat, rashes

Signs and tests:

A physical examination may detect a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) or abnormal heart beats, abnormal heart sounds (murmurs, extra heart sounds), fluid in the lungs and fluid in the skin of the legs. In addition, other signs suggestive of an infection may be present: fever, rashes, red throat, itchy eyes, swollen joints.

Tests used in the diagnosis of myocarditis include:

Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Chest x-ray
Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) -- may show weak heart muscle, an enlarged heart, or fluid surrounding the heart.
White blood cell count
Red blood cell count
Blood cultures for infection
Blood tests for antibodies against the heart muscle and the body itself
Heart muscle biopsy - rarely performed