A 62-year-old woman undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer presents with a 3-day history of fever and chest pain. Cardiac catheterization reveals a markedly reduced ejection fraction with normal coronary blood flow. A myocardial biopsy is obtained, and a PCR test for coxsackievirus is positive. Histologic examination of this patient's myocardium will most likely reveal an abundance of which of the followinginflammatory cells?
This patient with viral myocarditis will show an accumulation of lymphocytes in the affected hea muscle. Naive lymphocytes encounter antigen-presenting cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) in the secondary lymphoid organs. The other choices are not characteristic responders to viral infections, although acute inflammation may be observed in lytic infections. Diagnosis: Viral myocarditis
Eosinophils
Lymphocytes
Macrophages
Mast cells
Basic Concepts and Vascular changes of Acute Inflammation