[Dilated cardiomyopathies and cytomegalovirus].

Apparently primary dilated cardiomyopathy poses a difficult aetiological problem. There is epidemiological, biological and histological evidence that some of them are the long-term results of acute myocarditis especially due to Coksackie virus. In order to establish whether cytomegalovirus infection could also have the same consequences 67 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy were reviewed to look for inflammatory changes and CMV serology. The results indicate a possible link between acute CMV myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (7 p. 100 of cases) but this is difficult to prove in the chronic stage of the disease.