Acute Myopericarditis Complicating Acute Tonsillitis: A Prospective Study

Objectives: We describe a prospective study of 100 consecutive cases of acute tonsillitis tested for cardiac involvement. There was 1 clear-cut case of acute myopericarditis and 5 more patients with pathological findings suggesting cardiac complication. Methods: During a 6-month period (November 2006 to April 2007), we prospectively studied 100 consecutive patients admitted to our department with acute tonsillitis for the purpose of detecting acute myopericarditis. We obtained for each patient a serial electrocardiogram and echocardiogram, and took blood samples. All blood samples were analyzed for the presence of the marker troponin 1 and for cardiac enzymes. Results: One patient (male) had a definitive diagnosis of myopericarditis, and another 5 patients (3 of whom were female) had abnormal cardiac findings suggestive of myopericarditis. Conclusions: Otolaryngologists should be aware of the possibility of cardiac involvement in acute tonsillitis and perform an adequate workup whenever such a possibility is suspected.