Myocarditis is best described as which of the following?

Myocarditis is best described as which of the following?

• A. Inflammation of the pericardium due to autoimmune reaction.
• B. Inflammation of the heart muscle often caused by a virus or autoimmune reaction, diagnosed via biopsy.
• C. Inflammation of the endocardium with vegetation.
• D. Accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space.

Answer: (B)

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle itself, not the lining around the heart or the inner heart surfaces. It is most often caused by a viral infection or an autoimmune process. The diagnosis classically relies on a biopsy of the heart muscle showing inflammatory infiltrates with myocyte damage (the Dallas criteria); cardiac MRI can also support the diagnosis, but biopsy provides definitive confirmation in many cases. This distinguishes it from conditions that affect other parts of the heart: inflammation of the pericardium is pericarditis, inflammation of the endocardium with vegetations is endocarditis, and fluid accumulation in the pericardial space is a pericardial effusion. Clinically, patients may present with chest pain, dyspnea, arrhythmias, or signs of heart failure, and management focuses on supportive care and treating the underlying cause.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle itself, not the lining around the heart or the inner heart surfaces. It is most often caused by a viral infection or an autoimmune process. The diagnosis classically relies on a biopsy of the heart muscle showing inflammatory infiltrates with myocyte damage (the Dallas criteria); cardiac MRI can also support the diagnosis, but biopsy provides definitive confirmation in many cases. This distinguishes it from conditions that affect other parts of the heart: inflammation of the pericardium is pericarditis, inflammation of the endocardium with vegetations is endocarditis, and fluid accumulation in the pericardial space is a pericardial effusion. Clinically, patients may present with chest pain, dyspnea, arrhythmias, or signs of heart failure, and management focuses on supportive care and treating the underlying cause.