Importance of endomyocardial biopsy in patients with myocarditis: A case report

Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is an invasive diagnostic tool to clarify specific etiologies of dilated cardiomyopathy with unknown etiology and suspected infiltrative cardiomyopathy. Recent case series indicate that EMB is a unique method for the diagnosis of myocarditis in >30% of unexplained cardiomyopathy cases (1). Differentiating specific types of myocarditis and infiltrative disease with EMB can lead to decide the appropriate therapy earlier and to improve the poor diagnosis of these diseases by this way. Based on the 2016 heart failure guidelines, EMB should be considered in individuals with rapidly progressive heart failure (HF) despite standard therapy, when there is a probability of a specific diagnosis which can be confirmed only in myocardial samples and specific treatment is available and effective (Class IIa and Level C).