Chronic Myocarditis and Angiotensin-II Receptor Antagonist (TCV-116).

A 46-year-old housekeeper with chronic myocarditis and congestive heart failure showed a dramatic response to a trial therapy employing the angiotensin-II receptor antagonist, TCV-116. On admission, her CPK was elevated and chest x-ray revealed huge cardiomegaly. The left ventricular (LV) chamber was markedly dilated, and the wall motion was reduced as assessed by echocardiography. On 99m Technetium pyrophosphate (Tc-PYP) myocardial scintigraphy, intense positive staining projected to the lateral LV wall. When elevation of CPK recurred, the Tc-PYP uptake migrated to the other site, the postero-inferior wall. After trial-use of TCV-116, the patient's heart failure was improved and the Tc-PYP positive figure was eliminated completely. When the drug was withdrawn, Tc-PYP uptake reappeared. The new drug, TCV-116, seemed to be effective in the treatment of chronic myocarditis with congestive heart failure.