MORPHOLOGICAL RECOGNITION OF VIRAL HEART-DISEASE

A large number of endomyocardial biopsies have been analysed from 1.97 8 patients clinically diagnosed as suffering from dilated cardiomyopat hy. In 1.125 patients non-specific changes of a dilated, hypertrophied myocardium were found consistent with a clinical diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. The most interesting group consisted of 676 patients among which 549 cases showed clear evidence of myocarditis. The so-cal led ''Dallas Criteria'' have been described in detail and categorised into acute, active, on-going, resolving (healing) and resolved (healed ) phases. Categorization is important for therapeutic reasons. Morphol ogical analysis performs the bases upon which other investigations can be undertaken.