Histopathology of myocarditis

Myocarditis is a major cause of heart failure, arrhythmias and ischaemic-like syndromes. Its histological definition by endomyocardial biopsy should be supplemented by immunohistochemistry to identify specific inflammatory cells and polymerase chain reaction to detect viral genomes. A correct diagnosis using all these techniques is crucial, since it facilitates the identification of the causes and mechanisms of the disease, as well as defining the specific therapeutic strategies which can improve the prognosis of affected patients.