Myocarditis

Big picture

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium. It is clinically important because it can look like acute coronary syndrome, acute heart failure, or arrhythmia/sudden cardiac death, especially in young patients after a viral illness.

Classic exam pattern:

Recent viral infection + chest pain/dyspnea/palpitations + elevated troponin + ECG changes ± normal coronary arteries → think myocarditis.

Modern ESC guidance treats myocarditis as part of inflammatory myocardial and pericardial syndromes, using a presentation-based approach with ECG, biomarkers, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and selective endomyocardial biopsy. ([