Virus and the Heart

Abstract

Viral infections may overload the heart by altering pulmonary or systemic vascular resistance, may induce congenital malformations, or may invade the mature heart muscle and provoke acute and possibly chronic myocarditis. The nature of the association of myocarditis with known viral infections and the pathophysiologic effects of myocardial involvement are analyzed. Although viral myocarditis of clinical significance is relatively rare, recent advances in diagnosis and therapy warrant greater dissemination and application of existing knowlelge as well as further clinical investigation.