[Changes in the heart in various acute respiratory infections in children]

Hearts of 45 children dying with respiratory infections were studied by light and luminescent microscopy. Specific and nonspecific changes in tissues were found. Nonspecific changes consisted in disorders of microcirculation, degenerative, and necrotic processes in cardiomyocytes, and disorganization of the connective tissue of the endocardium and interstitial tissue of the myocardium, whereas specific changes included the presence of viral and mycoplasmal antigens in endotheliocytes and cardiomyocytes as well as metamorphosis of the latter detected mainly in adenovirus infection and mycoplasmosis. Analogous nonspecific and specific changes were also discovered in cytomegalovirus and Coxsackie virus infections which in some children were accompanied by acute respiratory infections.