VENTRICULAR ANEURYSMS COMPLICATING COXSACKIE-VIRUS GROUP-B, TYPES 1 AND 4 MURINE MYOCARDITIS

Suckling Swiss Webster mice were inoculated with 104TCD50 of coxsackieviruses, group B types 1 or 4. Virulent necrotizing myocarditis resulted in 185 infected mice. Of the latter group, three (14.3%) nurslings on the 17th and 23rd day after inoculations had left ventricular aneurysms postmortem. None of 61 concurrently matched control mice developed aneurysms. Ventricular aneurysm is a suggested but previously undocumented complication of murine, and possibly human necrotizing transmural coxsackievirus myocarditis.