Lupus Site - a guide for lupus patients and their families

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, & is often associated with muscle inflammation in other parts of the body. �

Symptoms may include:
fatigue or weakness
rapid heartbeat, known as tachycardia
palpitations (an unusual awareness of the heartbeat)
arrhythmias (or abnormal heartbeats)
heart murmurs (abnormal heart sounds)
chest pain
shortness of breath
fever
heart failure. �

Infections, particularly viruses, can induce myocarditis.�

It can be diagnosed by ECG, chest x-ray, echocardiogram, blood cultures to check for infection in the blood, or a biopsy of the heart muscle.

Often this condition is silent, causing few or no symptoms, and goes away on its own. It is treated using steroids or cytotoxic drugs. If infection is present antibiotics are used.

It is uncommon in SLE.