[Acute Staphylococcus aureus myocarditis in AIDS. 2 cases].

The authors report two cases of acute myocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus in patients with AIDS. There was no history of opportunist infections in either case but the CD4 lymphocyte levels were very low. The myocarditis caused acute cardiac failure and death. Histological examination showed microabscesses filled with Gram positive cocci throughout the myocardium. Bacteriological studies identified the Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus myocarditis without endocardial or pericardial involvement is very rare. It is the result of septic emboli in the cardiac microcirculation. Bacterial myocarditis has rarely been diagnosed in HIV positive patients. Both our cases featured severe cell-mediated immunodeficiency without associated neutropaenia. The decreased bactericidal activity of the neutrophil polynuclears and/or a deficit in the immunity mediated by the B-cell lymphocytes in AIDS could explain the lethal septic complications observed in our two cases.