Fetal viral myocarditis and congenital complete heart block in a pregnancy complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus. A case report.

Congenital complete heart block has been associated with collagen vascular disorders. Many etiologies have been proposed for the myocarditis that develops and results in the complete heart block. Transplacental antibody transfer--specifically, antibodies to tissue-soluble ribonuclear protein antigen-A--has been implicated as the etiology of the myocarditis. This case supports the association of this antibody while suggesting that viral infection may serve as an initiator of the autoimmune destruction. Also, fetal viral infection alone must be considered a possible cause of congenital complete heart block.