Table 16. - Immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids.

Giant cell myocarditis Corticosteroid pulse therapy – methylprednisolone 500 to 1,000 mg for 3 to 5 days; prednisone – 1 mg/kg and then slow and gradual withdrawal Antilymphocyte antibody – Thymoglobulin – 1.5 mg/kg/day, according to the evolution of CD3 T lymphocytes – cyclosporine – 3 to 8 mg/kg Azathioprine – 2 mg/kg

Lymphocytic and eosinophilic myocarditis Up to week 4 – 1 mg/kg Weeks 5 to 12 – reduce dosage by 0.08 mg/kg/week Weeks 13 to 20 – maintain dosage at 0.3 mcg/kg/day Weeks 21 to 24 – reduce dosage by 0.08 mg/kg/week TIMIC study: prednisone – 1 mg/kg for 4 weeks and 0.33 mg/kg for 5 months; azathioprine – 2 g/kg for 6 months

Sarcoidosis Prednisone – 30 mg/day – remove 5 mg per month for 12 to 24 months Combination when corticosteroid withdrawal is difficult: methotrexate – 10 to 20 mg/week Azathioprine – 2 mg/kg; hydroxychloroquine – 200 to 400 mg/day Leflunomide – 10 to 20 mg/day