Authors: Maša Biberic, Siniša Zrna, Jurica Juranic, Vlatka Sotošek Tokmadzic, Branka Kurtovic, Zeljko Zupan.
Acute fulminant myocarditis (AFM) is characterized by sudden onset of severe heart failure or cardiogenic shock. In this paper we describe a case of acute fulminant myocarditis and chronic constrictive pericarditis due to Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) infection and the use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock. Acute fulminant myocarditis and chronic C. pneumoniae constrictive pericarditis led
to a sudden onset of circulatory arrest and progressive cardiogenic shock in this particular case. The diagnosis was confirmed with transfemoral biopsy of the heart muscle and a positive IgG/IgM-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-serum test. After the specific antimicrobial treatment combined with MCS the patient fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.