Acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis successfully treated by high dose methylprednisolone

Acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis is the most severe form of eosin ophilic myocarditis, or hypersensitivity myocarditis, and is characterized by rapidly progressive congestive heart failure followed by fulminant clini cal deterioration that is nearly always fatal. A 55-year-old previously hea lthy patient with acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis was diagnosed by early myocardial biopsy and successfully treated with corticosteroids. T hroughout his hospitalization, the eosinophil count in the peripheral blood remained normal (56-201/mm(3)). Early stage corticosteroid therapy can hav e dramatic effects in acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis and early diagnosis by endomyocardial biopsy is recommended.