Myocarditis

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, often caused by infection or an immune response. It can impair the heart’s ability to pump and sometimes disrupt its electrical rhythm.

Cardiac myocyte: A contractile muscle cell of the heart that generates force for pumping blood. These cells are direct targets of inflammatory injury in myocarditis.
Viral myocarditis: Myocardial inflammation associated with a viral infection or viral injury to heart tissue. Viruses are among the best-known infectious causes of myocarditis.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: An imaging method that uses magnetic fields to assess heart structure, function, and tissue characteristics. It can reveal patterns of edema and injury that support a myocarditis diagnosis.
Pericarditis: Inflammation of the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. It affects the heart’s outer covering rather than primarily the muscle itself.
Fulminant myocarditis: A rapidly progressive form of myocarditis causing severe heart dysfunction and often requiring intensive support. It represents the abrupt, life-threatening end of myocarditis severity.
Myocardial edema: Excess fluid within heart muscle tissue, often associated with inflammation or injury. Inflammation can make the myocardium swollen, a feature detected by cardiac imaging.
Coxsackievirus B: A group of enteroviruses that can cause illnesses including myocarditis and pericarditis. Coxsackievirus B has been a classic example of a virus linked to myocardial injury.
Endomyocardial biopsy: A procedure that removes small samples of heart muscle through a catheter for microscopic analysis. It can identify specific inflammatory patterns when results would change management.
Myopericarditis: A condition in which pericarditis occurs with evidence of myocardial injury. It describes overlapping muscle and pericardial inflammation rather than isolated myocarditis.
Sudden cardiac death: Unexpected death caused by abrupt loss of effective heart function, often from a malignant arrhythmia. Myocarditis can create electrical instability that occasionally leads to sudden death.

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