Giant Cell Myocarditis / Disease

Diseases & Conditions

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Giant Cell Myocarditis

Synonyms of Giant Cell Myocarditis

GCM
Idiopathic Giant Cell Myocarditis

Disorder Subdivisions

General Discussion
Giant cell myocarditis is a rare cardiovascular disorder that occurs for unknown reasons (idiopathic). It is characterized by inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), a condition referred to as myocarditis. Inflammation is caused by widespread infiltration of giant cells associated with other inflammatory cells and heart muscle cell destruction. Giant cells are abnormal masses produced by the fusion of inflammatory cells called macrophages. Individuals with giant cell myocarditis may develop abnormal heartbeats, chest pain and, eventually, heart failure. Many individuals eventually require a heart transplant. The disorder most often occurs in young adults.

Organizations related to Giant Cell Myocarditis

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
22100 Gratiot Avenue
Eastpointe MI 48021
Phone #: 586-776-3900
800 #: 800-598-4668
e-mail: aarda@aarda.org
Home page: http://www.aarda.org/
American Heart Association
National Center
Dallas TX 75231-4596
Phone #: 214-373-6300
800 #: 800-242-8721
e-mail: inquire@heart.org
Home page: http://www.americanheart.org
AutoImmunity Community
None
None None None
Phone #: (91-9) -552-9057
800 #: N/A
e-mail: bandrews@autoimmunitycommunity.org
Home page: http://autoimmunitycommunity.org
Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF)
PO Box 547
Tenafly NJ 07670
Phone #: 866-808-2873
800 #: --
e-mail: info@childrenscardiomyopathy.org
Home page: http://www.childrenscardiomyopathy.org
Myocarditis Foundation
4708 Norbury Place
Raleigh NC 27614
Phone #: 919-846-2081
800 #: 866-846-1600
e-mail: cmoose1@nc.rr.com
Home page: http://www.myocarditisfoundation.org
Myocarditis Program at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Rochester MN 55905
Phone #: 507-284-3680
800 #: --
e-mail: cooper.leslie@mayo.edu
Home page: http://www.mayo.edu/research/giant_cell_myocarditis/communications.html
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda MD 20824-0105
Phone #: 301-592-8573
800 #: --
e-mail: nhlbiinfo@rover.nhlbi.nih.gov
Home page: N/A
WIRED4LIFE
2515 White Bear Ave.
Maplewood MN 55109
Phone #: 651-470-1140
800 #: N/A
e-mail: dawnhuberty@wired4life.net
Home page: http://www.wired4life.net

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ? (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html