The definition of rheumatic fever has been broadened of recent years and many people take it to include not only articular and skin manifestations but also all those signs that are commonly regarded as evidence of an active carditis. While this conception may be pathologically correct and at times convenient in use, it is clear that there are many cases of rheumatic fever where there is no proo...

Background Acute rheumatic carditis is a pancarditis in which the involvement of the pericardium and endocardium is usually confirmed by echocardiography. However, the myocardium involvement has been controversial and difficult to diagnose. We think that Cardiac Magnetic Resonance adds important information about the involvement of the myocardium in acute rheumatic fever, especially for myocard...

We describe the case of fulminant myocarditis due to Lyme disease and use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for the treatment of the Lyme carditis associated with refractory cardiogenic shock. Fulminant Lyme myocarditis in young adult male patient led to a sudden onset of acute, severe biventricular heart failure with progressive cardiogenic shock, and multiorgan failure immediately after...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to define the predictors of chronic carditis in patients with acute rheumatic carditis (ARC). METHODS Patients diagnosed with ARC between May 2010 and May 2011 were included in the study. Echocardiography, electrocardiography, lymphocyte subset analysis, acute phase reactants, plasma albumin levels, and antistreptolysin-O (ASO) tests were performed at initia...

A cluster of papers, important to the history of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, that were published in volume 1 of Medico-Chirurgical Transactions (1809), are discussed. These include articles by Sir Astley Cooper on ligature of the common carotid artery for aneurysm, John Abernethy on mitral stenosis, and Sir David Dundas on acute rheumatic carditis.

Timely diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment is essential in Lyme carditis to achieve favorable prognosis. Externalized permanent pacemaker with an active fixation lead as supportive pacing modality is a feasible option till complete resolution of conduction block with continued antibiotic therapy.

We present a case of an uncommon viral myopericarditis in a 19-year-old man with chest pain. Electrocardiographic abnormalities and elevated cardiac enzymes were present. Myopericarditis of unknown origin was diagnosed following cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. During admission, the patient developed tonsillitis and serology tests confirmed an acute Epstein–Barr viral infection. Therefore, i...