The Histologic Diagnosis of Myocarditis

Letters and Corrections15 February 1989The Histologic Diagnosis of MyocarditisRicky D. Latham, MD, Renu Virmani, MDRicky D. Latham, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Renu Virmani, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-110-4-321_2 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo The editor: We appreciate the frustration expressed by Dr. Lie (1) in his attempt to compare numerous studies on myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathies reported in the past decade. The inhomogeneity of the populations studied significantly limits a fair comparison among trials. Some studies include patients with unexplained congestive heart failure but with histories of alcohol use, valvular disease, rheumatic processes, or other conditions. An additional factor to be considered is that the duration of illness and symptoms are highly variable among groups and studies. We have learned that a biopsy specimen is more likely to show myocarditis when taken...References1. Lie J. Myocarditis and endomyocardial biopsy in unexplained heart failure: a diagnosis in search of a disease. Ann Intern Med. 1988;109:525-8. LinkGoogle Scholar2. DecPalaciosFallon GIJ. Acute myocarditis in the spectrum of acute dilated cardiomyopathies: clinical features, histologic correlates, and clinical outcome. N Engl J Med. 1985;312:885-90. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. ChowDittrichShabetai LHR. Endomyocardial biopsy in patients with unexplained congestive heart failure. Ann Intern Med. 1988;109:535-9. LinkGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Ricky D. Latham, MD; Renu Virmani, MDAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 15 February 1989Volume 110, Issue 4Page: 321-322KeywordsAlcoholsBiopsyDilated cardiomyopathyHeart failureLongitudinal studiesMyocarditisPopulation statisticsValvular diseases ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 15 February 1989 PDF downloadLoading ...