Diagnostic endomyocardial biopsy pathology: secondary myocardial diseases and other clinical indications - a review.

Endomyocardial biopsy is a commonly performed, useful procedure for the evaluation of cardiac tissues for many indications, including the assessment of transplant rejection, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, drug toxicity, neoplastic involvement, chest pain, arrhythmia and secondary involvement by systemic diseases. The present paper focuses on clinicopathological considerations for biopsy use for individuals with secondary myocardial disease. The use of endomyocardial biopsy for the clinical indications of idiopathic arrhythmia and chest pain is also discussed.