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Anti-thymocyte globulin as an adjunct to treatment of fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis

Vance Manins1, Niki Parle, Lorry Dembo

  • 1Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Service, The Royal Perth Hospital, Wellington Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000, Australia. vance.manins@health.wa.gov.au

The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation : the Official Publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
|September 29, 2009
PubMed

There is much debate over the role of immunosuppression in the treatment of acute and fulminant myocarditis. The low incidence of the condition prevents large numbers of cases for study, and treatment protocols vary greatly between institutions. In this study we add our experience with anti-thymocyte globulin as an adjunct to standard medical therapy for 5 patients presenting with cardiogenic shock due to fulminant myocarditis. All cases were associated with rapid and dramatic improvement in hemodynamic and electrophysiologic abnormalities, returning patients to NYHA Class I and cardiac function to normal or near normal by discharge.

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