Myocarditis

Book excerpt: This book is an up-to-date, comprehensive, clinically oriented guide to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with myocarditis. The opening chapters address the classification, histopathology and molecular diagnosis, as well as the polymorphic clinical presentations, ranging from myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries; arrhythmias of variable type and clinical severity and fulminant, acute, sub-acute or chronic heart failure; to life-threatening unexplained cardiogenic shock and sudden cardiac death. Including chapters from leading International experts in the field, it covers all key issues from bench to bedside. Topics presented include epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical and diagnostic work-up, the role of endomyocardial biopsy and of non-invasive cardiac imaging, risk stratification, and cardiological and etiology-specific management and follow-up. For each topic, a comprehensive review of the current literature is provided and practical suggestions are offered for short- and long-term management. Lastly, future perspectives and gaps in the current knowledge are also addressed. The book also covers a key discovery of last the 2 decades, namely the autoimmune origin of myocarditis in a sizable proportion of patients, discussing in detail the role of immunosuppression and immunomodulation, as well as the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the disease. Mainly intended for cardiologists, general physicians, clinical immunologists and rheumatologists, it is also a valuable tool for residents in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology.