CARDIAC LOCALIZATION OF EOSINOPHIL-GRANULE MAJOR BASIC-PROTEIN IN ACUTE NECROTIZING MYOCARDITIS

THE association of eosinophilia and endomyocarditis has been well documented. A form of Löffler's endocarditis,1 characterized by eosinophilic pancarditis, muscle necrosis, and arteritis, is usually a feature of certain systemic diseases, including the hypereosinophilic syndrome,2 3 4 eosinophilic leukemia,5 polyarteritis nodosa,6,7 drug-induced hypersensitivity,8 bronchial asthma,9 10 11 biliary tract carcinoma,12 and parasitic disease.13 The cardiac involvement is characterized by a subacute course and symptoms of congestive heart failure. Treatment with glucocorticoids and cytotoxic agents is effective.14 Fulminant acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis occurring in the absence of notable extracardiac disease has been reported only rarely.15 The disease has a short course and is rapidly fatal… © 1990, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.