Myocarditis refers to a group of disorders that can cause inflammation of the heart. This is most often due to viruses that can attack the heart directly or trigger an autoimmune attack on the heart. In addition, this can be due to allergic reactions to medications or autoimmune disorders such as lupus. Very rarely, this can be due to vaccines.
Sarcoidosis is a type of myocarditis that is thought to be autoimmune. Sarcoidosis most commonly affects the lungs, but can also affect other body parts including the eyes and joints, and can involve the heart approximately 30% of the time. When it does involve the heart, it can cause heart failure or disruptions of the electrical system of the heart, including arrhythmias. It is treated with immunosuppressive medications in addition to standard heart failure therapy.
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