Corticosteroid therapy in heart disease

Abstract

In order to establish the therapeutic value, the clinical indications and the probable mode of action of corticosteroid therapy in heart disease, 36 suitably selected cases were studied. They included congestive heart failure, (31), complicated acute myocardial infarction, (10), atrio-venticular block with Stokes-Adams syndrome and/or congestive heart failure, (4), and one case of Acute Idiopathic Myocarditis, all considered as practically "sure losses", standing hardly any chance of recuperation with orthodox methods of therapy. The series included also 5 cases of acute rheumatic carditis, with congestive heart failure, 4 of whom had extensive pericarditis with effusion and impending cardiac tamponade; one case of Acute Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, with mitral regurgitation; and 2 cases of cardiovascular syphilis, screened wlth corticosteroids during penicillin-therapy against the potentially-fatal, though uncommon, Herxheimer reaction.