Key result
In two pediatric patients with giant cell myocarditis, initial cardiac biopsy findings were inconclusive, highlighting the diagnostic challenge of this rapidly progressive condition.
Why the study?
Giant cell myocarditis is a rapidly progressive and frequently lethal fulminant myocarditis in children, but initial cardiac biopsy findings can be challenging and inconclusive.
Case Report (n=2)
No
Initial cardiac biopsies in pediatric giant cell myocarditis can be inconclusive, making early definitive diagnosis challenging.
Initial biopsies may miss pediatric giant cell myocarditis; leaves open optimal diagnostic strategies including repeat sampling.
Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a form of fulminant myocarditis that is rapidly progressive and frequently lethal even in children. Over the course of 20 years, a definitive histopathologic diagnosis of GCM has been made at our institution in only two pediatric patients, and in neither instance was the diagnosis of GCM rendered on initial cardiac biopsy. We present the two patients and highlight the similarities in their clinical presentation and their challenging and inconclusive- albeit histologically similar- initial cardiac biopsy findings.
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Carreon et al. (2021) conducted a case report in Giant cell myocarditis (n=2). Initial cardiac biopsy was evaluated on Definitive histopathologic diagnosis of GCM. In two pediatric patients with giant cell myocarditis, initial cardiac biopsy findings were inconclusive, highlighting the diagnostic challenge of this rapidly progressive condition.
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