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Question:
How is silent myocarditis diagnosed?
How do I know if I have myocarditis if it is silent? By listening
to heart sounds and taking pulse, can I get the clue of having silent
myocarditis?
submitted by Amar from India on 11/15/2015
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, James T. Willerson, MD
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle usually associated with an increased heart rate, shortness of breath, reduced energy, and an enlarging heart. An experienced physician might hear heart murmurs and a gallop sound, ie 3rd heart sound. If associated with a viral infection, which it often is, the patient usually has fever and chills. The diagnosis is made definitively by a biopsy of the heart muscle, and the treatment is usually a period of steroid administration. I hope this is helpful.
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Updated November 2015
