Giant-Cell Myocarditis, Cardiac Sarcoidosis, and Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

Described herein are 2 patients diagnosed clinically as "giant cell myocarditis." Both had short clinical courses (∼ 2 months) before lifesaving orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Examination of the hearts disclosed multiple widespread yellow lesions in the ventricular walls. The short clinical courses in these 2 patients are quite different from cardiac sarcoidosis, which typically has courses lasting years. In contrast to cardiac sarcoidosis, the ventricular myocardial lesions were yellow in color not white as in cardiac sarcoidosis. In conclusion, we consider giant-cell myocarditis and cardiac sarcoidosis to be different conditions and not simply different stages of the same condition.