[Acute infectious myocarditis (author's transl)].

Among the primary myocardiopathies resulting from a known cause, acute infectious myocarditis plays an important part. This condition, usually interstitial myocarditis of viral etiology, occurs predominantly in the infant under two years of age. They are characterized by a hypotrophic hypokinetic myocardiopathy which is very hard to differentiate from endocardial fibroelastosis. Fibroelastosis is probably only one possible result of the course of certain myocarditis'. However, on the whole, prognosis is good and the children recover. Typhoid fever and diphtheria may also compromise myocardial function.