Focal myocarditis secondary to polymyositis can mimic acute myocardial infarction and may respond favorably to corticosteroid therapy.
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Corticosteroids may remit focal myocarditis from polymyositis mimicking MI; hypothesis-generating case requiring prospective validation.
BACKGROUND: Cardiac involvement in patients with polymyositis is well-documented and includes myocarditis, coronary arteritis, pericarditis, valvular dysfunction and arrhythmias. CASE REPORT: There are only few reports of acute myocarditis in patients with polymyositis and, although it usually follows a chronic, mild course, it may occasionally become life-threatening. We describe the case of a 36-year-old young woman suffering from polymyositis who presented with clinical signs and symptoms mimicking an ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome. The atypical features of the pain, the young age of the woman, the lack of significant cardiovascular risk factors and the medical history of an autoimmune disease, led us to reconsider our initial diagnosis towards the presence of focal myocarditis. CONCLUSION: We describe our diagnostic approach and comment on our speculations and decisions about the treatment of such a life threatening event.
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Stougiannos et al. (2009) studied this question.
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