Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy (Myocarditis)

n patients presenting with congestive heart failure in the United States, approximately one-quarter have idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC).IDC is thought to result from a number of mechanisms that injure the myocardium and lead to a common pathway of cardiac dilatation and heart failure.Known mechanisms of myocardial injury include alcohol, toxins, infections, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and metabolic abnormalities. 1 Recent studies have highlighted important genetic links, suggesting that familial transmission is important in a subgroup of IDC patients.However, in most IDC patients, a cause cannot be determined.