Myocarditis

What it means

Inflammation of the myocardium.

Myocarditis can be caused by a variety of bacterial and viral infections. Enteroviruses, especially coxsackievirus B, and adenovirus and parvovirus B19 are often associated with acute myocarditis. Exposure to drug treatment, physical stimuli such as radiation and heat, metabolic disorders, immune disorders, and pregnancy are also causes of myocarditis. Many cases of myocarditis are idiopathic. Myocarditis presents with non-specific symptoms including chest pain, dyspnea, and palpitations, and thus often mimics more common disorders such as coronary artery disease. In some patients, cardiac MRI and endomyocardial biopsy can help identify myocarditis, predict risk of cardiovascular events, and guide treatment.

Rare diseases that can present with this43

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions, and Orphanet separately records 1 disease where this sign is specifically absent. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category