A case of suspected eosinophilic myocarditis recognized by a fully noninvasive approach and safely treated with corticosteroids despite underlying hepatitis C virus-related hepatitis

Abstract

Hypereosinophilic syndrome can lead to acute myocarditis with a potentially severe systolic dysfunction and serious complications. A 75-year-old patient suffering from Hepatitis C virus (HCV) related-hepatitis came to our observation for idiopatic hypereosinophilic syndrome and acute severe cardiac systolic dysfunction without coronaropathy. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed a ‘patchy’ subendocardial and intramyocardial late gadolinium enhancement pattern often seen in eosinophilic myocarditis (EM). Assuming EM, appropriate corticosteroid therapy was initiated and it led to clinical remission. Despite endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is the diagnostic gold standard for EM, in this case only a noninvasive integrated imaging approach was successfully attempted. Given an adequate clinical context, in our opinion EM can be correctly recognized without EMB and so promptly and safely treated with corticosteroids, even when an underling mild HCV-hepatitis is present.