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Löffler's endocarditis and endomyocardial fibrosis--a nosologic entity?
Insights
Löffler's endocarditis and endomyocardial fibrosis may be part of a single disease spectrum. Eosinophilia in three Danish patients suggests eosinophilic granulocytes could be the cause of these cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pathology
- Immunology
Background:
- Löffler's endocarditis and endomyocardial fibrosis are debated as separate entities or part of a disease spectrum.
- Endomyocardial fibrosis was historically considered exclusive to tropical regions.
- The role of eosinophils in these conditions is under investigation.
Abstract:
The problem whether Löffler's endocarditis and endomyocardial fibrosis belong to the same disease spectrum or are separate entities is still under debate. Until recently it was believed that endomyocardial fibrosis was a disorder restricted to tropical areas. Three Danish patients are presented, two showing a continuous disease spectrum, one patient showing the fully developed endomyocardial fibrosis which is indistinguishable from endomyocardial fibrosis described from the tropical areas. Eosinophilia was present in all three patients. The findings described in these three patients lend support to the unitarian hypothesis that Löffler's endocarditis and endomyocardial fibrosis belong to the same disease spectrum, and that the eosinophilic granulocyte may be the underlying cause.