Acute Eosinophilic Myocarditis with Dramatic Response to Steroid Therapy

The Central Role of Echocardiography in Diagnosis and Follow-Up

Manuela Eppenberger, MD, Dietrich Hack, MD, Peter Ammann, MD, Hans Rickli, MD, and Micha T. Maeder, MD

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

Abstract

Acute eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare cause of acute heart failure. We present the case of a 32-year-old woman who had presumptive eosinophilic myocarditis as part of a generalized hypersensitivity reaction (Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms [DRESS] syndrome) that exhibited a dramatic response to steroid therapy. We highlight the central role of 2-dimensional and tissue-Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of myocarditis and the serial evaluation of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in this setting.

Key words: Cardiomyopathy, infiltrative; Doppler, pulsed; drug complications; echocardiography, two-dimensional, transthoracic; eosinophils; myocarditis

Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Menu

August 21, 2013