Heart, Giant cell myocarditis

Details
Gender
Age
75 years
Organ System/Discipline
Diagnosis
Giant cell myocarditis
Clinical History

Previously healthy with no cardiac history. Rapid onset of cardiac failure and atrial fibrillation over several months after a suspected viral illness with skin rash. No coronary artery disease on angiogram. Troponin > 10,000 ug/L just prior to death.

Case Discussion

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium as a result of different infectious or non-infectious triggers.

Clinical features include: rapid onset and progression of heart failure associated with arrhythmias.

Histological features include: extensive patchy transmural myocardial necrosis associated with mixed chronic inflammatory infiltrate containing lymphocytes, multinucleated giant histiocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils. Distinct granuloma formation, and granulomata or giant cells identified outside the myocardium are absent.

See related content for references:
1) Xu J., Brooks, EG., Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2016;140:1429-34.

Image Contributors
Wong, J.

Cite

Wong, J. Heart, Giant cell myocarditis. Digital Laboratory Medicine Library, Dept of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto. Published . Accessed December 17, 2025. https://dev.dlml.cflabs.ca/image/heart-giant-cell-myocarditis-lmp52641