Myocarditis Associated with Mesalazine: A Case Report

Abstract

Acute myocarditis is a life-threatening inflammatory disease of the heart muscle. It usually occurs after a viral infection and it is often asymptomatic. Mesalazine is commonly used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Mesalazine rarely causes acute myocarditis, but the exact mechanism is unclear. A 32-year-old female patient using mesalazine with a diagnosis inflammatory bowel disease was admitted to the emergency department with shortness of breath. The patient showed signs of acute decompansated heart failure. Bedside echocardiography examination showed a reduced left ventricular systolic function. The patient was followed with a diagnosis of fulminant myocarditis and mechanical ventilation and inotropic support was started. The patient has dramatically improved after stopping treatment of mesalazine. Myocarditis due to any drug use should be taken into consideration in patients receiving mesalazine therapy.