Severe granulomatous giant cell myocarditis in Wegener's granulomatosis

Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: Cardiac, Renal, and Respiratory Involvement

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly known as Wegener's granulomatosis, is an anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated small-vessel vasculitis. Typically, it causes upper and lower respiratory tract necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and necrotizing glomerulonephritis. The diagnosis is made through clinical symptoms, positive antibody testing, imaging, and kidney biopsy. We describe the case of a man in his 60s who presented with multiple complications of GPA including rapidly progressive renal failure requiring dialysis, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), circulatory shock, submassive pulmonary embolism, and biventricular and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: a pathology-focused review

CONTEXT

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unclear etiology. It is not commonly fatal, but when sarcoidosis is fatal, it is most often from cardiac involvement and when sarcoidosis involves the heart, it frequently causes death. The disease presents diagnostic challenges both clinically and histologically.

OBJECTIVES

To review the histology of cardiac sarcoidosis and the histologic differential diagnosis of cardiac granulomatous disease and to review the epidemiology and gross pathology of cardiac sarcoid as well as discuss current controversies, clinical diagnostic criteria, and proposed mechanisms of pathogenesis.

DATA SOURCES

We reviewed the literature searchable on PubMed as well as selected older studies revealed by our review of the recent literature. Photographs were taken from cases on file at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and Columbia University Medical Center (New York, New York).

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcoidosis is a focal or disseminated granulomatous disease that likely represents the final common pathway of various pathogenic insults in a genetically susceptible host. The type of insult may influence the specific sarcoid phenotype. Controversy still abounds, but many areas of investigation around sarcoidosis are yielding exciting discoveries and bringing us closer to a richer understanding of this puzzling disease.

[Inflammatory cardiac diseases by primary extracardial diseases]

As systemic immunological disorders, internal diseases in gastroenterology, rheumatology and infectiology can, in addition to the bowels, potentially involve the musculo-skeletal system, the immunological system and heart structures. All structures and functions of the heart can be affected. Pericarditis in lupus erythematosus and chronic inflammatory bowel disease, myocarditis in HIV infection and lyme disease are examples of cardiac manifestations of internal diseases. The pathogenetic causes can be manifold, such as direct cytotoxic effects in HIV or Borrelia burgdorferi infections, induced vasculitis and local activation of coagulation factors as in lupus erythematosus or chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Improved treatment options have led to more long-lasting courses of internal diseases, such as in infectious diseases, lupus erythematosus and chronic inflammatory bowel disease, thus cardiovascular complications such as pericarditis and myocarditis gain increasing importance as a consequence of chronic disease and therapy-related damage.

Myocarditis

Viruses are the most common cause of myocarditis in economically advanced countries.

Enteroviruses and adenoviruses are the most common etiologic agents.

Viral myocarditis is a triphasic process. Phase 1 is the period of active viral replication in the myocardium during which the symptoms of myocardial damage range from none to cardiogenic shock. If the disease process continues, it enters phase 2, which is characterized by autoimmunity triggered by viral and myocardial proteins. Heart failure often appears for the first time in phase 2. Phase 3, dilated cardiomyopathy, is the end result in some patients. Diagnostic procedures and treatment should be tailored to the phase of disease.

Viral myocarditis is a significant cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, as proved by the frequent presence of viral genomic material in the myocardium, and by improvement in ventricular function by immunomodulatory therapy.

Myocarditis of any etiology usually presents with heart failure, but the second most common presentation is ventricular arrhythmia. As a result, myocarditis is one of the most common causes of sudden death in young people and others without preexisting structural heart disease.

Myocarditis can be definitively diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy. However, it is clear that existing criteria for the histologic diagnosis need to be refined, and that a variety of molecular markers in the myocardium and the circulation can be used to establish the diagnosis.

Treatment of myocarditis has been generally disappointing. Accurate staging of the disease will undoubtedly improve treatment in the future. It is clear that immunosuppression and immunomodulation are effective in some patients, especially during phase 2, but may not be as useful in phases 1 and 3. Since myocarditis is often selflimited, bridging and recovery therapy with circulatory assistance may be effective. Prevention by immunization or receptor blocking strategies is under development.

Giant cell myocarditis is an unusually fulminant form of the disease that progresses rapidly to heart failure or sudden death. Rapid onset of disease in young people, especially those with other autoimmune manifestations, accompanied by heart failure or ventricular arrhythmias, suggests giant cell myocarditis.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy in economically developed countries is usually the result of myocarditis.

Echocardiographic findings in patients with Wegener granulomatosis

OBJECTIVE

To describe the spectrum and clinical implications of echocardiographic findings associated with Wegener granulomatosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records and echocardiographic data of consecutive patients with confirmed Wegener granulomatosis referred to the echocardiography laboratory during the 21-year period from 1976 through 1997.

RESULTS

Of the 85 patients Identified as having confirmed Wegener granulomatosis, 73 (86%) were found to have echocardiographic abnormalities. In 26 (36%) of these 73 patients, lesions appeared directly related to Wegener granulomatosis. We found regional wall motion abnormalities in 17 (65%) of these 26 patients. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction with decreased ejection fraction was found in 13 patients (50%) and pericardial effusion in 5 patients (19%). Other findings Included valvulitis, left ventricular aneurysm, and a large intracardlac mass. A significantly increased mortality rate was observed among patients who had cardiac involvement of Wegener granulomatosis found by echocardiography.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a high frequency of echocardiographic abnormalities that appear to be related to Wegener granulomatosis and associated with Increased mortality. Because cardiac involvement in Wegener granulomatosis often is silent and associated with Increased morbidity and worse prognosis, echocardlographic screening of patients with active Wegener granulomatosis may be of clinical value.

Relapsing congestive cardiomyopathy in Wegener's granulomatosis

Congestive cardiomyopathy is a highly unusual complication of Wegener's granulomatosis. In this report, we describe a 37-year-old man with histologically proven Wegener's granulomatosis who had two episodes of severe hypokinetic cardiomyopathy that responded well to cyclophosphamide. The theory that cardiomyopathy might be related to cardiac involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis and the beneficial effect of cyclophosphamide in this condition are discussed.

Cardiac involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis

Wegener's granulomatosis is a systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology. The protean clinical presentations depend on the organ(s) involved and the degree of progression from a local to a systemic arteritis. The development of serological tests (antieutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies) allows easier diagnosis of a disease whose incidence is increasing. This is particularly helpful where the presentation is not classic--for example "overlap syndromes"--or where the disease presents early in a more localised form. This is true of cardiac involvement, which is traditionally believed to be rare, but may not be as uncommon as has hitherto been thought (< or = 44%). This involvement may be subclinical or the principal source of symptoms either in the form of localised disease or as part of a systemic illness. Pericarditis, arteritis, myocarditis, valvulitis, and arrhythmias are all recognised. Wegener's granulomatosis should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of any non-specific illness with cardiac involvement. This includes culture negative endocarditis, because Wegener's granulomatosis can produce systemic upset with mass lesions and vasculitis. Echocardiography and particularly transoesophageal echocardiography can easily identify and delineate cardiac and proximal aortic involvement and may also be used to assess response to treatment.

Wegener's granulomatosis and the heart

Three cases of Wegener's granulomatosis with cardiac complications are described and the relevant published reports are reviewed. The first case of Wegener's granulomatosis was associated with aortic regurgitation and required aortic valve replacement. The second and third cases were associated with pericardial disease requiring pericardiectomy for constructive pericarditis in one case, and haemorrhagic pericarditis with pericardial effusion in the other. Aortic valve involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis is uncommon and valve replacement has been described on only one previous occasion. Pericardial involvement is relatively common pathologically, but pericardial surgery has been described in this condition only twice, once for tamponade and once for constrictive pericarditis after pericardiocentesis. Cardiac involvement is not uncommon in patients with Wegner's granulomatosis and may be clinically important. Diagnosis is aided by estimation of the anti-neutophil cytoplasmic antibody titre.