Myocarditis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome

A 13 year old girl is reported who presented with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) due to Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection. She died during the acute phase of the illness after an episode of unexplained sudden circulatory collapse. Postmortem examination confirmed the diagnosis of HUS and showed histological evidence of myocarditis manifested by the presence of inflammatory cell infiltration in the myocardium and around the conducting system.