4 meanings of USMLE acronym and USMLE abbreviation. Get the Medical definition of USMLE by All Acronyms dictionary. Top Definition: United States Medical Licensing Exam In Medical dictionary category.
Pericarditis Definition. Inflammation of the lining around the heart (the pericardium) that causes chest pain and accumulation of fluid around the heart (pericardial effusion). There are many causes of pericarditis, including infections, injury, radiation treatment, and chronic diseases. SOURCE: MedTerms.
ANSWER: Your friend had myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart. Viruses are one cause of it. The virus most often involved is the Coxsackie virus, named after the New York town where it was first identified.Myocarditis can be so mild that it produces no symptoms.EAR DR. DONOHUE: A friend in his late 40s thought he had the flu and called his doctor for medicine. Later he had trouble breathing and went to the emergency room, where they said he was having a heart attack. Several hours later, he passed away. An autopsy showed that a virus had attacked his heart.