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Pediatric Myocarditis: What Have We Learnt So Far? J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022; 9:jcdd9050143. [PMID: 35621854 PMCID: PMC9144089 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd9050143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium that is troublesome to diagnose and manage, especially in children. Since the introduction of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), new diagnostic tools have provided useful data. Especially when enhanced with immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studies, EMB remains the gold standard for the diagnosis. Notably, cardiac magnetic resonance (MRI) is a non-invasive tool that can confirm the diagnosis and has a particular usefulness during the follow-up. The causes of myocarditis are heterogeneous (mostly viral in children). The course and outcome of the illness in the pediatric population represent a complex interaction between etiologic agents and the immune system, which is still not fully understood. The clinical presentation and course of myocarditis vary widely from paucisymptomatic illness to acute heart failure refractory to therapy, arrhythmias, angina-like presentation and sudden cardiac death. In this setting, cardiac biomarkers (i.e., troponins and BNP), although unspecific, can be used to support the diagnosis. Finally, the efficacy of therapeutic strategies is controversial and not confirmed by clinical trials. In this review, we summarized the milestones in diagnosis and provided an overview of the therapeutic options for myocarditis in children.
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Myocardial inflammation and sudden death in the inherited cardiomyopathies. Can J Cardiol 2022; 38:427-438. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2022.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Baritussio A, Giordani AS, Rizzo S, Masiero G, Iliceto S, Marcolongo R, Caforio AL. Management of myocarditis in clinical practice. Minerva Cardiol Angiol 2021; 70:273-284. [PMID: 34713675 DOI: 10.23736/s2724-5683.21.05732-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Myocarditis is an inflammatory heart muscle disease characterised by heterogeneous clinical presentation and outcome. Clinical heterogeneity of myocarditis, ranging from acute onset chest pain with electrocardiographic changes resembling an acute coronary syndrome, to arrhythmic storm and chronic decompensated heart failure, makes diagnosis challenging. A correct diagnosis is however key to proper patients' management and should always be aimed at. Although a definite diagnosis is only provided by endomyocardial biopsy, the European Society of Cardiology task force on myocardial and pericardial diseases provided specific criteria for the diagnosis of clinically suspected myocarditis, which has been facilitated by the advent of non invasive imaging tests (i.e. cardiovascular magnetic resonance based myocardial tissue characterization). Due to the heterogeneous presentation and disease course of myocarditis, a tailored treatment would be the best strategy, but a standardised management is still not available. Over the years, however, new, promising, therapies, such as anti-viral and immune-suppressive treatment, have come side by side to the standard pharmacological heart treatment, i.e. anti-heart failure medications. In this paper we will review the basic principles of myocarditis management in clinical practice, including diagnostic work-up, conventional and disease-specific therapy and patients' follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Baritussio
- Cardiology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea S Giordani
- Cardiology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Stefania Rizzo
- Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Giulia Masiero
- Cardiology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Sabino Iliceto
- Cardiology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Renzo Marcolongo
- Haematology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alida L Caforio
- Cardiology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua and Azienda Ospedale Università Padova, Padua, Italy -
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Marcolongo R, Rizzo S, Cerutti A, Reffo E, Castaldi B, Baritussio A, Basso C, Di Salvo G, Caforio AL. The multiple faces of autoimmune/immune-mediated myocarditis in children: a biopsy-proven case series treated with immunosuppressive therapy. ESC Heart Fail 2021; 8:1604-1609. [PMID: 33452872 PMCID: PMC8006650 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of immunosuppressive therapy (IT) in paediatric autoimmune/immune‐mediated myocarditis remains poorly defined. To explore its role, we present a series of three consecutive paediatric patients with biopsy‐proven, virus negative, autoimmune/immune‐mediated myocarditis, with distinct clinical and pathological features, who have been successfully treated with IT, a 14‐year‐old boy with Loeffler's fibroblastic parietal endomyocarditis, a 6‐year‐old child with celiac disease with chronic active lymphocytic myocarditis, and a 13‐year‐old boy with long‐standing heart failure and active lymphocytic myocarditis. Patients started IT and entered follow‐up between July 2017 and September 2019; the first patient completed IT. IT was associated with a substantial and sustained recovery of cardiac function in our patients, regardless of their heterogeneous clinical and pathological features. Combination IT was well tolerated and enabled tapering and weaning off steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzo Marcolongo
- Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Department of MedicineUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Stefania Rizzo
- Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Alessia Cerutti
- Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Woman and Child HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Elena Reffo
- Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Woman and Child HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Biagio Castaldi
- Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Woman and Child HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Anna Baritussio
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Cristina Basso
- Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Giovanni Di Salvo
- Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Woman and Child HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Alida L.P. Caforio
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public HealthUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
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