Left ventricular constriction due to myocarditis in a child

A case (followed for six years) is reported of an 8 year old child with syncopal episodes presumed due to acute left ventricular failure. Electrocardiograms showed progressive left ventricular hypertrophy while radiographically there was evidence of left atrial and right ventricular enlargement. Hemodynamic data obtained at left heart catheterization revealed markedly elevated mean left atrial and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. In the absence of gross left ventricular enlargement this suggested a constrictive phenomenon involving the left ventricle. The etiology of the latter was found at postmortem examination to be due to chronic myocarditis and coronary vasculitis.