Fulminant myocarditis with COVID‐19 infection having normal C‐reactive protein and serial magnetic resonance follow‐up

COVID-19 related acute necrotizing encephalopathy and acute myocarditis in an adult female: a novel case report of brain injury and myocarditis

BACKGROUND

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) and myocarditis are both acute, life-threatening conditions that can be triggered by COVID-19. We report a case of sequential ANE and myocarditis following a COVID-19 infection.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 27-year-old female patient was brought to the emergency department due to episodes of fever for two days and a 9-h altered state of consciousness. Her condition rapidly developed into stuporous and hemodynamic instability within serval hours. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was rapidly initiated with other supportive treatments. The following-up MRI showed bilateral, symmetrically distributed lesions in the brainstem, bilateral hippocampal regions, and bilateral basal ganglia, consistent with ANE. The diagnosis was confirmed through the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and the exclusion of other potential causes. After weeks of medical treatment, her condition stabilized, and she was transferred for further rehabilitation treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

This case study indicates that COVID-19 may simultaneously and rapidly affect the central nervous system and cardiovascular system, leading to poor outcomes. Accurate diagnosis and timely invasive bridging therapy, when necessary, can be lifesaving. Further exploration of potential mechanisms underlying COVID-19 central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular system manifestations will be important.

Fulminant Myocarditis with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Narrative Review from the Case Studies

One of the severe complications of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is myocarditis. However, the characteristics of fulminant myocarditis with SARS-CoV-2 infection are still unclear. We systematically reviewed the previously reported cases of fulminant myocarditis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection from January 2020 to December 2022, identifying 108 cases. Of those, 67 were male and 41 female. The average age was 34.8 years; 30 patients (27.8%) were ≤20 years old, whereas 10 (9.3%) were ≥60. Major comorbidities included hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, asthma, heart disease, gynecologic disease, hyperlipidemia, and connective tissue disorders. Regarding left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at admission, 93% of the patients with fulminant myocarditis were classified as having heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (LVEF ≤ 40%). Most of the cases were administered catecholamines (97.8%), and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) was required in 67 cases (62.0%). The type of MCS was extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 56, 83.6%), percutaneous ventricular assist device (Impella®) (n = 19, 28.4%), intra-aortic balloon pumping (n = 12, 12.9%), or right ventricular assist device (n = 2, 3.0%); combination of these devices occurred in 20 cases (29.9%). The average duration of MCS was 7.7 ± 3.8 days. Of the 76 surviving patients whose cardiac function was available for follow-up, 65 (85.5%) recovered normally. The overall mortality rate was 22.4%, and the recovery rate was 77.6% (alive: 83 patients, dead: 24 patients; outcome not described: 1 patient).

Biomarkers in Acute Myocarditis and Chronic Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy: An Updated Review of the Literature

Myocarditis is a disease caused by cardiac inflammation that can progress to dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and eventually death. Several etiologies, including autoimmune, drug-induced, and infectious, lead to inflammation, which causes damage to the myocardium, followed by remodeling and fibrosis. Although there has been an increasing understanding of pathophysiology, early and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment remain challenging due to the high heterogeneity. As a result, many patients have poor prognosis, with those surviving at risk of long-term sequelae. Current diagnostic methods, including imaging and endomyocardial biopsy, are, at times, expensive, invasive, and not always performed early enough to affect disease progression. Therefore, the identification of accurate, cost-effective, and prognostically informative biomarkers is critical for screening and treatment. The review then focuses on the biomarkers currently associated with these conditions, which have been extensively studied via blood tests and imaging techniques. The information within this review was retrieved through extensive literature research conducted on major publicly accessible databases and has been collated and revised by an international panel of experts. The biomarkers discussed in the article have shown great promise in clinical research studies and provide clinicians with essential tools for early diagnosis and improved outcomes.

C-Reactive Protein: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, False Test Results and a Novel Diagnostic Algorithm for Clinicians

The current literature provides a body of evidence on C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and its potential role in inflammation. However, most pieces of evidence are sparse and controversial. This critical state-of-the-art monography provides all the crucial data on the potential biochemical properties of the protein, along with further evidence on its potential pathobiology, both for its pentameric and monomeric forms, including information for its ligands as well as the possible function of autoantibodies against the protein. Furthermore, the current evidence on its potential utility as a biomarker of various diseases is presented, of all cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, renal, gynecological, andrological, dental, oral, otorhinolaryngological, ophthalmological, dermatological, musculoskeletal, neurological, mental, splenic, thyroid conditions, as well as infections, autoimmune-supposed conditions and neoplasms, including other possible factors that have been linked with elevated concentrations of that protein. Moreover, data on molecular diagnostics on CRP are discussed, and possible etiologies of false test results are highlighted. Additionally, this review evaluates all current pieces of evidence on CRP and systemic inflammation, and highlights future goals. Finally, a novel diagnostic algorithm to carefully assess the CRP level for a precise diagnosis of a medical condition is illustrated.

Clinical outcome of established diagnostic and treatment modalities of COVID-19-associated myocarditis: a systematic review

Despite the significant research and development of COVID-19 diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, the virus still poses a concern, particularly to groups that are already vulnerable. Several individuals experienced cardiac problems like myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, and pericarditis after they had recovered from the infection. Early diagnosis and timely management of sequelae are part of the therapy. However, there are gaps in the knowledge of the diagnostic and definitive treatment options for COVID-19 myocarditis. This review focuses on myocarditis associated with COVID-19.

Objective

This systemic review provides the most recent overview of myocarditis caused by COVID-19, including clinical manifestations, diagnostic techniques, available treatments, and outcomes.

Methods

The PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect servers were used to conduct a systematic search in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. Boolean search terms included "(COVID-19)" OR "(COVID19)" OR "(COVID-19 VIRUS INFECTION)" AND "(MYOCARDITIS)". The results were tabulated and analyzed.

Results

A total of 32 studies, including 26 case reports and 6 case series, were included in the final analysis, and 38 cases of COVID-19-associated myocarditis were analyzed. Middle-aged men constituted the most affected population (60.52%). Dyspnoea (63.15%), chest pain or discomfort (44.73%), and fever (42.10%) were the prevalent presentations. ST-segment abnormalities were reported in 48.38% of cases on electrocardiography testing. Leucocytic infiltration (60%) was the frequent finding obtained on endomyocardial biopsy. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging yielded myocardial oedema (63.63%), and late gadolinium enhancement (54.54%) as the most common findings. Reduced ejection fraction (75%) was the frequent result obtained on echocardiography. Corticosteroids (76.31%) and immunomodulators (42.10%) were the well-established in-hospital medications. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (35%) was the most common intervention used to support the treatment. The frequent in-hospital complications were cardiogenic shock (30.76%), followed by pneumonia (23.07%). The mortality rate was 7.9%.

Conclusion

Early detection and timely management of myocarditis are essential to reduce the risk of developing further complications. It is crucial to emphasize the need to evaluate COVID-19 as a possible cause of myocarditis in populations that are young and healthy to avoid fatal consequences.