Elsevier

Cardiovascular Pathology

Volume 16, Issue 2, March–April 2007, Pages 119-121
Cardiovascular Pathology

Case Report
Fatal myocarditis related to Campylobacter jejuni infection: a case report

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpath.2006.09.007Get rights and content

Abstract

Infectious myocarditis can be caused by a variety of agents, with enteroviruses being the most common. Myocarditis due to enteric bacteria is rare. We present pathological documentation of a rare case of a Campylobacter jejuni bowel infection leading to rapidly fatal myocarditis.

Section snippets

Case history

A 16-year-old previously healthy male was en route home to Los Angeles from Thailand after a four-week Tsunami Relief Volunteer trip. About 1 1/2 days prior to leaving for the United States, he complained of fever, chills, and myalgias, followed by 12–16 h of abdominal cramps, body stiffness, diarrhea, and vomiting with decreased appetite and sweats. A few days prior to his departure from Thailand, he drank tap water at his hotel. He denies having ingested any other toxins, unusual food, or

Pathological findings

At autopsy, the external examination showed a 67-in., 170-lb, well-developed and well-nourished young male.

The heart weighed 370 g, and there was 150 ml of a yellow serous fluid in the pericardial sac. The lungs showed severe pulmonary congestion with a right hydrothorax. The liver grossly was slightly pale and mottled. The spleen weighed 340 g with increased malpighian parenchyma. The examination for the rest of the organs was unremarkable. The Acute Communicable Disease Public Health

Discussion

While clinical myocarditis associated with C. jejuni has been reported [1], [2], [3], [4], this case appears to be the first report of a death from myocarditis related to a Campylobacter infection with pathological confirmation. This case was difficult from a clinical standpoint as the duration of chest pain suggesting cardiac abnormalities was quite abrupt. CK enzyme levels were extremely elevated but thought to be due to rhabdomyolysis. It is not possible to determine how much of the CK

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank the State of California Department of Health Services Laboratory for their PCR Studies and the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner/Medical Examiner's office.

References (8)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (28)

  • Zoonoses from animal meat and milk

    2022, Present Knowledge in Food Safety: A Risk-Based Approach through the Food Chain
  • Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention: Association with Foodborne Pathogens and Potential Benefits of Probiotics

    2016, Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics: Bioactive Foods in Health Promotion
  • Chest pain and diarrhea: A case of campylobacter jejuni-associated myocarditis

    2014, Journal of Emergency Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    However, CAM is extremely rare, with only very few cases reported in the world literature, the majority from Europe (5,6). One reported fatal case of CAM from the US involved an individual who had returned from Thailand after a tsunami relief operation (7). There are two recognized patterns of heart disease caused by Campylobacter species: 1) Campylobacter fetus (C. fetus), causing bacteremia and pericarditis, and 2) Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), causing myocarditis without bacteremia.

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text