Giant cell myocarditis with cardiac tamponade: a rare combination

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
O P Murty

Abstract

Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare but fatal disease of idiopathic origin. It results in focal necrosis of myocardium. This is a case report of middle aged Malaysian Indian female who died due to cardiac tamponade due to rupture myocardium and tear in the root of aorta. On naked eye examination, it simply resembled as recent as well as old fibrotic areas of myocardial infarction. She was clinically diagnosed as a case of obstructive cardiomyopathy with atrioventricular block, and was on pace maker. There was subendocardial fibrosis and left ventricular transmural infarction in the left ventricle. On histopathology, this was diagnosed as GCM, there were widespread areas of inflammatory cellular infiltration within the myocardium with multinucleated giant cells and granulomas interspersed with lymphocytes. Microscopic field showed up to 10 multinucleated giant cells. In this case, there were focal areas at multiple locations and caused uneven thickness in the left ventricle wall. Idiopathic GCM is very rare and causation of hemopericardium is the unique feature of this case. In this case the direct link of GCM with aortitis and rupture of left ventricle wall resulting in hemopericardium is shown. This case is documented throu...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Apr 26, 2011·Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology·Kleio FragkouliTheodore Vougiouklakis
Aug 31, 2018·Health & Social Care in the Community·Cristina GagliardiMirko di Rosa
Aug 26, 2009·Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS·Peggy L St JacquesRoberto Cabeza
Jun 24, 2015·Medicine, Science, and the Law·Slobodan Nikolić, Vladimir Živković

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