Antiinflammatory therapy in myocarditis.

Acute viral myocarditis progresses through several stages, including acute viral infection, autoimmunity, and dilated cardiomyopathy. Recent studies have identified an important role for the myocardial inflammatory response during the initial phases of acute viral myocarditis. In this review, we discuss new insights into the innate host response to viral myocarditis and the various therapeutic strategies that have been attempted in managing the deleterious consequences of the myocardial inflammatory response in acute viral myocarditis.