Etymed
myocarditis
Definition
inflammation of the myocardium (heart muscle)
Clinical context
A 22-year-old male presents to the emergency department with fever, chest pain, and shortness of breath that developed over the past 3 days after a viral upper respiratory infection. On examination, he has bilateral crackles in his lungs and a pericardial friction rub. ECG shows widespread ST-segment elevations and arrhythmias. Cardiac enzymes are elevated. The most likely diagnosis is myocarditis, an inflammatory condition of the heart muscle that can follow viral infections.
Mnemonic
MYOcarditis = MYO (muscle) + carditis (inflammation) - think 'heart muscle inflammation'