Inflammation Of Heart

Pose Heart inflammation - pericarditis

What is pericarditis?
The heart is surrounded by a thin membrane called the pericardium or pericardium. This membrane consists of two layers an inner membrane that attaches to the surface of the heart muscle (myocardium), and an outer membrane. In between the two membrane is a tiny amount of fluid that allows the two membranes to glide smoothly against each other when the heart is working.

A pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium. The distinction between three main forms of pericarditis:

An acute nonspecific pericarditis which manifests itself as a mild inflammation around the heart sac, and probably in most cases caused by a viral infection.

Special and rare forms of acute pericarditis that may be caused by bacterial infection, immune disorder, or that may occur after a heart attack.

Chronic constrictive pericarditis is rare sequelae of acute pericarditis in which healing has caused scarring, and the pericardium has become stiff and tight. This may hamper the heart's motion and thereby impair the heart's ability to pump blood.

A pericarditis is a relatively rare condition. The acute non-specific form is the most frequent variant and accounts for more than 80% of all cases. It is seen at all ages but is most common in 15-30 years of age and most commonly in men.

Myocarditis Diagnosis

How is the diagnosis?
Medical history suggestive of the condition. At the medical examination, it is classic heart failure signs bulging veins on his neck and crackles over the lungs.

Damage to heart muscle cells gives rise to certain blood tests (cardiac enzyme such as CK-MB and troponin-I) which is also elevated in myocardial infarction. The difference is that the heart muscle inflammation keeps these blood samples is increased further. Viral and bacterial tests can confirm that the patient has recently had or have a viral or bacterial infection. ECG may show transient light rhythm with extra strokes. Life threatening arrhythmias may occur late or early in the course.

Radiographs of the chest may show diffuse enlargement of the heart shadow and fluid in the lungs. Echocardiography will immediately determine the severity and can judge the hearts pumping function. Other imaging modalities are rarely used in suspected acute myocarditis, but MRI is shown to be beneficial in some cases.

Diagnosis can be confirmed in difficult cases by taking a tissue sample (biopsy) of heart muscle tissue. The disadvantage is that inflammatory changes may be patchy in the heart, and it is not certain that the sample is taken from the inflamed tissue. Such sampling is not entirely harmless.

Myocarditis Signs And Symptoms

Symptoms and signs

The diagnosis is in many cases difficult to ask. Disease signs may vary from enlarged lymph nodes and non-specific flu-like symptoms of acute heart failure with great difficulty breathing or sudden death. In many cases, the disease is so little said that the precursor without symptoms. The symptoms can appear several days to weeks after the start of acute febrile illness or respiratory infection.

Typical symptoms include rapid heartbeat, and possibly chest pain. Other signs include unexplained heart failure and heart rhythm disorders that may cause fainting. Myocarditis can cause chest pain and, therefore, similar to acute myocardial infarction. Details of previous respiratory distress, gastrointestinal symptoms or febrile illness may help to estimate the time from viral infection of heart muscle inflammation appears.

Acute myocarditis should be suspected in young, especially males, who have had heart disease without certain evidence, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias or conduction disturbances.