Miloš Kubánek, Luděk Voska
Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) and cardiac sarcoidosis are inflammatory diseases of the cardiac muscle resistant to conventional
therapy of heart failure and arrhythmias. GCM mostly manifests as fulminant myocarditis. Less frequently
GCM manifests as subacute progressive congestive heart failure with clinical presentation of dilated cardiomyopathy,
advanced atrioventricular block or symptomatic episodes of ventricular tachycardia. Sarcoidosis of cardiac muscle, except
for the fulminant form, has similar clinical presentation to GCM, however the progress of disease is slower, lasting
months. Diagnostics of GCM by endomyocardial biopsy and of cardiac sarcoidosis by multimodal approach are essential
for appropriate treatment of these diseases, including immunosuppressive therapy.