Cardiac Disease, Autoimmune.

The article presents an encyclopedia entry for cardiac disease, autoimmune. Autoimmune cardiac disease refers to a number of inflammatory diseases of the heart that have been associated with autoimmune or other immunemediated pathogenic mechanisms. The characteristics of the autoimmune heart disease such as cardiac inflammation or extensive fibrosis resulting from preceding inflammation are discussed. Infectious agents and chemicals that have cardiotoxic effects and may cause inflammatory heart disease are mentioned.