TUBERCULOSIS OF THE MYOCARDIUM

Abstract

While tuberculous pericarditis is not uncommon, tuberculous involvement of the myocardium is decidedly rare. Some idea of the incidence of the latter condition can be gained from the reports of Raviart 1 and Norris, 2 the former finding only 49 cases among 7,683 autopsy reports collected from French and German sources, and the latter 5 cases among 7,319 protocols. In all, we have been able to find reports of only a few more than 200 instances of tuberculous myocarditis (Raviart, 1 Norris 2 and others 3 ). In spite of its apparent rarity, we have secured during the past year six examples of tuberculous myocardial involvement from the postmortem material of the Philadelphia General Hospital. A brief history of these cases follows. REPORT OF CASES Case 1.—History. —F. E., a colored woman, aged 51, was admitted to the neuropsychiatric wards of the Philadelphia General Hospital on Oct. 7, 1930,