학술논문
Fatal Parvovirus B19 Myocarditis in an 8-Year-Old Boy
Document Type
journal paper
Source
Journal of Forensic Sciences, Jan 2003, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 1-4.
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0022-1198
Abstract
A report is given on an 8-year-old boy who suddenly and unexpected died. Autopsy findings point to acute heart failure. Microscopic examination of the heart showed increased interstitial and perivasal fibrosis and myocarditis with macrophage infiltration. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for parvovirus B19 was positive in heart samples and in the spleen. Immunostaining for parvoviral surface antigens was negative. Although the virus does not appear to have infected the cardiomyocytes, we speculate that myocarditis arose from immunological cross-reaction to epitopes shared between the virus and the myocardium.