Korean J Med.  2010 Feb;78(2):266-272.

A case of cardiac involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome presenting without cardiomegaly in an asymptomatic patient

• Kim SA
• Ahn HK
• Lee SJ
• Yi JH
• Jeung YJ
• Lee BJ
• Choi DC

Abstract

We report a case of Churg-Strauss syndrome with cardiac involvement presenting without cardiomegaly or cardiopulmonary symptoms. A 47-year-old woman was referred to our institution for myalgia, peripheral numbness, and eosinophilia. She had been diagnosed with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis four years ago. The patient exhibited eosinophilia (71%) and elevated cardiac enzymes (cTnI, 2.977 ng/mL). Cardiomegaly was not observed on chest radiography, but nonspecific ST segment changes were observed on electrocardiography. A transthoracic echocardiography revealed a dilated left ventricular cavity, a decreased left ventricle (42%), and diastolic dysfunction. Contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed delayed hyperenhancement 10 minutes after injecting gadolinium. An endomyocardial biopsy showed eosinophilic myocarditis associated with vasculitis. The patient was diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome and received combination therapy with steroid and cyclophosphamide. After the second treatment cycle, the blood eosinophilia disappeared and the vasculitis and infiltration of eosinophils into the endomyocardial tissue had completely resolved.

Keyword

Churg-Strauss syndrome; Endomyocardial biopsy; Eosinophilic myocarditis

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Biopsy
Cardiomegaly
Churg-Strauss Syndrome
Cyclophosphamide
Echocardiography
Electrocardiography
Eosinophilia
Eosinophils
Female
Gadolinium
Heart Ventricles
Humans
Hypesthesia
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Myocarditis
Rhinitis
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
Thorax
Vasculitis
Cyclophosphamide
Gadolinium