Churg-Strauss syndrome presenting with eosinophilic myocarditis: A diagnostic challenge

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is an unusual disease that presents as systemic vascutitis and peripheral eosinophilia in patients with an atopic constitution. Cardiac involvement is unusual and often not prominent on :initial presentation, but is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CSS. We report the case of a young woman with severe acute myocarditis. Coronary arteriography demonstrated extensive focal vasculopathy, consistent with coronary vasculitis, and myocardial biopsy showed eosinophilic myocarditis. This presentation led to an initial diagnosis of CSS in this patient and appropriate therapy resulted in a spectacular remission of disease activity. (C) 2012 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.