[Biopsy and autopsy frequency of myocarditis]

Mononuclear infiltrations indicative for myocarditis were found in 3 out of 171 left ventricular biopsies from patients with cardiomyopathies (1.2%). One patient had a normal EF, one had a minimally and one a markedly reduced ventricular function. Among 5,804 consecutive necropsies myocarditis was diagnosed in 308 cases (5.3%). 1.3% were septic in origin while mononuclear infiltrations were found in 3.7% and special morphology in 0.3%. Combined detailed analysis both of clinical and autopsy data could be performed in 84 patients who had died in our own hospital. 82 patients had severe additional diseases determining clinical symptoms and course. Myocarditis without other underlying diseases was found in 2 patients only. Infiltrations were widespread and diffuse in both ventricles and atria in these cases. Myocardial inflammation could not be diagnosed from clinical parameters (X-ray, symptoms, ECG) in any case. Our bioptical data demonstrate that myocarditis does not play a major role in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathies. Diffuse myocarditis of clinical relevance rarely occurs in adults while focal myocardial infiltrations can be found in a majority of diseases. Reliable clinical symptoms indicative for inflammatory myocardial disease could be found neither in cases with concomitant nor in patients with diffuse myocarditis.