Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of myocardium, associated with nonischemic necrosis and degeneration of myocytes. Although the clinical course is rapid, myocarditis can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy with chambers dilatation and ventricular dysfunction. The pathophysiology of myocarditis in humans is not completely understood. There are several etiological agents implicated, mainly viral agents. The clinical presentation is extremely various, with nonspecific systemic symptoms until sudden death. The great variability of symptoms makes the diagnosis, therefore, extremely difficult. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman who developed, after childbirth, hyperthermia associated with neck and left arm pain; initially treated with acetaminophen, without any benefit, the young woman, after few days, died suddenly. The autopsy documented the presence of edematous lungs and enlarged and congested liver. The microbiological tests performed 4 days after death were negative. The heart was normal in shape and volume; a section of the left ventricle wall showed subendocardial discromic areas histologically characterized by multifocal perivascular and interstitial inflammatory infiltrates. These infiltrates consisted mainly of neutrophils with eosinophil component associated with myocyte necrosis and hemorrhagic interstitial infiltration.

Fulminant Peripartum myocarditis associated with sudden cardiac death: a case report

CICCONE, Marco Matteo;DENTAMARO, ILARIA;CARBONARA, SANTA;RICCI, GABRIELLA;VESTITO, DOMENICO;MARZULLO, Andrea;TUNZI, FRANCESCO;SOLARINO, BIAGIO
2016-01-01

Abstract

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of myocardium, associated with nonischemic necrosis and degeneration of myocytes. Although the clinical course is rapid, myocarditis can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy with chambers dilatation and ventricular dysfunction. The pathophysiology of myocarditis in humans is not completely understood. There are several etiological agents implicated, mainly viral agents. The clinical presentation is extremely various, with nonspecific systemic symptoms until sudden death. The great variability of symptoms makes the diagnosis, therefore, extremely difficult. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman who developed, after childbirth, hyperthermia associated with neck and left arm pain; initially treated with acetaminophen, without any benefit, the young woman, after few days, died suddenly. The autopsy documented the presence of edematous lungs and enlarged and congested liver. The microbiological tests performed 4 days after death were negative. The heart was normal in shape and volume; a section of the left ventricle wall showed subendocardial discromic areas histologically characterized by multifocal perivascular and interstitial inflammatory infiltrates. These infiltrates consisted mainly of neutrophils with eosinophil component associated with myocyte necrosis and hemorrhagic interstitial infiltration.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
1-s2.0-S1054880715001441-main (1).pdf

non disponibili

Tipologia: Documento in Post-print
Licenza: NON PUBBLICO - Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 1.14 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.14 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11586/146002
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 1
  • Scopus 5
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 5
social impact