GENERAL CARDIOLOGY: Myocarditis, pericarditis and other pericardial diseases

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Abstract
Myocarditis is the term used to indicate acute infective, toxic or autoimmune inflammation of the heart. Reversible toxic myocarditis occurs in diphtheria and sometimes in infective endocarditis when autoimmune mechanisms may also contribute. Persistent viral infection of the myocardium was first demonstrated a decade ago.1 Slow growing organisms such as chlamydia and trypanosomal infection in Chagas' disease are causes of chronic myocarditis. Non-infective causes in sarcoidosis and the collagen vascular diseases need to be sought.
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