FIV Associated with Myocarditis
Viral infections have been proposed as the cause of myocarditis in a variety of species, but, until recently, demonstration of specific virally mediated myocarditis in cats has been lacking.
A recent study investigating the etiology of myocarditis in five cats demonstrated evidence of FIV virus in histologic sections of hearts of cats with both myocarditis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This is the first demonstration of the presence of FIV in the hearts of cats, and although the relationship between FIV, myocarditis, and HCM remains undetermined, this study prompts consideration for the importance of viral agents in the etiology of both myocarditis and HCM in cats.