Complication Rate of Right Ventricular Endomyocardial Biopsy via the Femoral Approach

An unequivocal diagnosis of myocarditis and cardiac virus persistence is based on histological, immunohistological, and molecular biological analyses of endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs). Biopsy-based diagnosis of myocarditis has become increasingly important because recent studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of biopsy-based causal treatment strategies (immunosuppressive or antiviral). Because the risks of major complications caused by EMB procedures have not yet been well defined, we evaluated the incidence of major and minor complications of right ventricular EMB procedures in this retrospective and prospective single-center study.