This disorder is caused by inflammation of the heart muscle itself, or inflammation of the tissue which covers the heart. It is divided into three main types:
1- Endocarditis:
This affects the inner layer of the heart muscle which is called the endocardium. This inflammation may extend to affect the heart valves, interventricular septum, chordae tendineae, mural endocardium, or even intracardiac devices. This illness may cause a vegetative lesion composed of fibrin, microorganisms, and inflammatory cells. It can be further subdivided into:
a- Infective endocarditis caused by bacterial or other organisms.
b- Non-infective endocarditis, also known as nonbacterial thrombic endocarditis (NBTE), which occurs during a hypercoagulable state such as: bacterial infection, pregnancy, cancer, and in patients with venous catheters.
2- Pericarditis:
This is caused due to inflammation of the pericardial sac. This inflammation may occur because of many causes such as: tumours, metabolic disorders which may cause kidney failure, infection with a virus or bacteria, other types of heart disease, heart surgery, rheumatoid arthritis and adverse reactions of some medications.
3- Myocarditis:
This is caused by viral infection, for example by enterovirus or parvovirus. In addition, this inflammation is associated with acute left ventricular dysfunction and can lead to increased release of proinflammatory cytokines.
Symptoms:
Endocarditis:
The most common symptoms associated with this kind of the disease are:
• Sudden weight loss
• Joint and muscular pain
• Fever and chills
• Visible purple or red spots exhibited in the mouth, on the skin or on the whites of the eyes
• Heart murmurs
• Coughing
• Blood in the urine
• Oedema or swelling of the feet and abdomen
• Fatigue and unusual tiredness
• Night sweats
• Shortness of breath
Pericarditis:
Chest pain similar to angina pectoris pain, starting from the chest area and radiating up to the shoulder blades, back and neck. Additionally, this pain may extend to the diaphragm and back.
Myocarditis:
Chest pain is the main symptom of myocarditis, as well as shortness of breath, oedema and fatigue.