TY - JOUR
T1 - High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of acute myocarditis. A case report and review of the literature
AU - Tedeschi, A.
AU - Airaghi, L.
AU - Giannini, S.
AU - Ciceri, L.
AU - Massari, F. M.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - A few reports have suggested the beneficial effect of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in the treatment of acute myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. We describe a 49-year-old woman in which acute myocarditis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and echocardiographic findings. Conventional treatment with captopril and frusemide was administered; intravenous heparin and, subsequently, oral anticoagulants were added because of the appearance of an apical thrombus. On the fifth day of hospitalization, treatment with high-dose (400 mg kg-1 day-1) IVIG was started and prosecuted for 5 days. A dramatic improvement of clinical conditions was observed, with increase of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from 30% to 75% within 1 week. One year after the diagnosis the patient is in good health, with steady normal LVEF. The rapid recovery, which was immediately subsequent to the administration of high-dose IVIG, suggests that this kind of treatment has been effective in our patient with acute myocarditis.
AB - A few reports have suggested the beneficial effect of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in the treatment of acute myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. We describe a 49-year-old woman in which acute myocarditis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and echocardiographic findings. Conventional treatment with captopril and frusemide was administered; intravenous heparin and, subsequently, oral anticoagulants were added because of the appearance of an apical thrombus. On the fifth day of hospitalization, treatment with high-dose (400 mg kg-1 day-1) IVIG was started and prosecuted for 5 days. A dramatic improvement of clinical conditions was observed, with increase of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from 30% to 75% within 1 week. One year after the diagnosis the patient is in good health, with steady normal LVEF. The rapid recovery, which was immediately subsequent to the administration of high-dose IVIG, suggests that this kind of treatment has been effective in our patient with acute myocarditis.
KW - Intravenous immunoglobulin
KW - Myocarditis
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U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2002.00929.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2002.00929.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 11905592
AN - SCOPUS:0036171570
VL - 251
SP - 169
EP - 173
JO - Journal of Internal Medicine
JF - Journal of Internal Medicine
SN - 0954-6820
IS - 2
ER -