High mortality diphtheritic myocarditis with conduction disturbance, case series, and review of literature

Diphtheria cases are still being reported in various parts of the globe. Although complete heart block resulting from diphtheric myocarditis is infrequent, it can lead to fatality. Awareness and recognition of this help strengthen the importance of vaccines and their proper management. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors report two young patients who presented in the interval of a month, to the emergency department with signs and symptoms of diphtheria. Both developed diphtheric myocarditis with complete heart block and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, which did not respond to temporary pacing. DISCUSSION: Diphtheria remains rare but few cases continue to emerge, especially in developing countries. Those who develop it have high mortality, particularly from cardiomyopathy, airway compromise, and organ failure. Conduction abnormalities are diagnostic of diphtheric myocarditis and have a grim prognosis and treatment options are limited. CONCLUSION: Diphtheric myocarditis has a poor prognosis and is an independent predictor of mortality. Since aggressive invasive treatment has not been shown to improve survival, early recognition along with antitoxin at the earliest suspicion and proper supportive care are the current best available options.