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A, B: Gross photographs of coronal sections of the heart ventricles with myocardial abscesses (pale, soft regions with surrounding erythema indicated by arrows), C: Photomicrograph of edge of myocardial abscess (100x magnification) hematoxylin and eosin stain. Hyphae with 45-degree angle branching are seen, with acute inflammation and injured myocytes, D: Gomori Methenamine-Silver stain of lung tissue (100x magnification) that highlights fungal organisms with 45-degree angle branching, consistent with Aspergillus.
Source publication
Invasive cardiac aspergillosis has been rarely described in immunocompromised patients. This disease is difficult to diagnose by conventional laboratory, microbiologic, and imaging techniques, and is often recognized only post-mortem. The authors present the case of a 60-year-old woman admitted with an exacerbation of eosinophilic granulomatosis wi...
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Citations
... Considering the 300 pathogenic fungi of Aspergillus spp., A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, and A. terreus are considered significant in causing infections amongst immunocompromised patients [36,37]. These strains were isolated in patients with invasive aspergillosis of nosocomial origin, as per this study. ...
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... Considering the lack of a Medicare rebate for cMRI for this indication, many patients with ischaemic scar who might otherwise require alternative management are likely being missed. Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that affects nearly 500,000 Australians [1]. Differentiating ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM and NICM) allows for appropriate targeted treatment strategies. ...
... Considering the lack of a Medicare rebate for cMRI for this indication, many patients with ischaemic scar who might otherwise require alternative management are likely being missed. Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that affects nearly 500,000 Australians [1]. Differentiating ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM and NICM) allows for appropriate targeted treatment strategies. ...
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... Heart muscle may be affected by Aspergillus infection in the form of myocarditis or cardiomyopathy [53,54]. This form of disease usually results from hematogenous spread of infection and is characterized by the presence of abscesses. ...
... Light microscopy of Aspergillus lesion tissue discloses bouquets or branched mycelium [216]. Blood cultures are generally negative in patients with Aspergillus myocarditis, oftentimes along with a high mortality rate [217]. ...
Background
Myocarditis is a significant health threat today, with infectious agents being the most common cause. Accurate diagnosis of the etiology of infectious myocarditis is crucial for effective treatment.
Main body
Infectious myocarditis can be caused by viruses, prokaryotes, parasites, and fungi. Viral infections are typically the primary cause. However, some rare opportunistic pathogens can also damage heart muscle cells in patients with immunodeficiencies, neoplasms and those who have undergone heart surgery.
Conclusions
This article reviews research on common and rare pathogens of infectious myocarditis, emphasizing the complexity of its etiology, with the aim of helping clinicians make an accurate diagnosis of infectious myocarditis.
Myocardial abscesses are found in about 0.18–1.52% of autopsies performed in adults and are very often caused by Gram-positive cocci. Most of the cases occur as complications of infective endocarditis. Some can also develop through dissemination from a distant septic focus or as a manifestation of sepsis. This is a report of fungal myocardial abscesses seen as a complication of hematogenous dissemination in an immunocompetent patient.KeywordsCardiac infectionMyocarditisMyocardial abscessFungus
Aspergillus
