Introduction
The heart is a large muscle (heart muscle) and consists of three different layers. The outer layer, also called the epicardium, is made up of connective tissue and is fused with the muscle. The middle layer is the muscle layer, also called myocardium.
The innermost layer, the endocardium, consists of epithelial cells and completely lines the heart. In myocardial inflammation, only the middle layer, the muscle layer, becomes inflamed. The inflammation can either be caused by a bacterial or viral infection or, in the absence of an infection, by rheumatoid arthritis, for example.
The course of a heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis) can take very different forms. Most myocarditis cases progress without or with mild clinical symptoms. In extreme cases, the first symptom of myocarditis can be dangerous cardiac arrhythmia, as well as sudden cardiac death.
Chronic myocarditis can cause dilated cardiomyopathy with corresponding symptoms. The symptoms that patients with infective myocarditis show are usually related to the original effect. If symptoms occur and the heart muscle inflammation thus becomes clinical, patients usually complain about it: The patient may also report an unnaturally fast pulse as a symptom (tachycardia), as well as fever.
The heart stumbling he or she has indicated will probably be shown by an ECG as an extrasystole (cardiac arrhythmia). In extreme cases, patients will show the symptoms of heart failure, which can range from shortness of breath, loss of performance to swollen legs (edema).
- Tiredness
- Exhaustion (power kink),
- Palpitations
- Heart stumbling.
The symptoms of an inflamed heart muscle can be recognized by a relatively large number of blood count parameters and examinations.
In most cases, however, the affected persons notice a clear “performance kink”. The heart cannot pump around as much blood as would theoretically be needed. The blood count shows slightly to moderately elevated inflammation parameters such as the leukocyte count or the C-reactive protein. In addition, the death of heart muscle cells can also be detected in the blood count with a special examination. Ultrasound can be used to visualize the limited beating capacity of the heart and a biopsy can be used to examine the inflamed heart tissue directly.
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