Clinical applications of multi-parametric CMR in myocarditis and systemic inflammatory diseases

Multiparametric Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Discriminate Endomyocardial Biopsy-Proven Chronic Myocarditis From Healed Myocarditis

BACKGROUND

Detecting ongoing inflammation in myocarditis patients has prognostic relevance, but there are limited data on the detection of chronic myocarditis and its differentiation from healed myocarditis.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to assess the performance of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for the detection of ongoing inflammation and the discrimination of chronic myocarditis from healed myocarditis.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with persistent symptoms (>30 days) suggestive of myocarditis were prospectively enrolled from a single tertiary center. All patients underwent a multiparametric 1.5-T CMR protocol including biventricular strain, T1/T2 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Endomyocardial biopsy was chosen for the reference standard diagnosis.

RESULTS

Among 452 consecutive patients, 103 (median age: 50 years; 66 men) had evaluable CMR and cardiopathologic reference diagnosis: 53 (51%) with chronic lymphocytic myocarditis and 50 (49%) with healed myocarditis. T2 mapping as a single parameter showed the best accuracy in detecting chronic myocarditis, if abnormal in ≥3 segments (92%; 95% CI: 85-97), and provided the best discrimination from healed myocarditis, as defined by the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (0.87 [95% CI: 0.79-0.93]; P < 0.001), followed by radial peak systolic strain rate of the left ventricle (0.86) and the right ventricle (0.84); T1 mapping (0.64), extracellular volume fraction (0.62), and LGE (0.57). Specificity increased when T2 mapping was combined with elevation of either troponin or C-reactive protein.

CONCLUSIONS

A multiparametric CMR protocol allows detection of ongoing myocardial inflammation and discrimination of chronic myocarditis from healed myocarditis, with segmental T2 mapping and biventricular strain analysis showing higher diagnostic accuracy compared with T1 mapping, extracellular volume fraction, and LGE. The use of biomarkers (troponin or C-reactive protein) may improve specificity.

Clinical Applications of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Parametric Mapping

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is widely regarded as the gold-standard technique for myocardial tissue characterization, allowing for the detection of structural abnormalities such as myocardial fatty replacement, myocardial edema, myocardial necrosis, and/or fibrosis. Historically, the identification of abnormal myocardial regions relied on variations in tissue signal intensity, often necessitating the use of exogenous contrast agents. However, over the past two decades, innovative parametric mapping techniques have emerged, enabling the direct quantitative assessment of tissue magnetic resonance (MR) properties on a voxel-by-voxel basis. These mapping techniques offer significant advantages by providing comprehensive and precise information that can be translated into color-coded maps, facilitating the identification of subtle or diffuse myocardial abnormalities. As unlikely conventional methods, these techniques do not require a substantial amount of structurally altered tissue to be visually identifiable as an area of abnormal signal intensity, eliminating the reliance on contrast agents. Moreover, these parametric mapping techniques, such as T1, T2, and T2* mapping, have transitioned from being primarily research tools to becoming valuable assets in the clinical diagnosis and risk stratification of various cardiac disorders. In this review, we aim to elucidate the underlying physical principles of CMR parametric mapping, explore its current clinical applications, address potential pitfalls, and outline future directions for research and development in this field.

Clinical Characteristics and Mechanisms of Acute Myocarditis

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT05335928.

The role of comprehensive stress cardiac MRI in autoimmune rheumatic disease: A review

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Much of this may be attributed to systemic inflammation resulting in coronary atherosclerosis and myocarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for the evaluation of cardiac structure and function, including tissue characterization, which allows for detection of myocardial edema, inflammation, and fibrosis. Advances in parametric mapping and coronary flow reserve measurement techniques have the potential to change the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. We provide an overview of the current evidence and suggest potential future roles for the use of comprehensive cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases in the field of cardio-rheumatology.

Multidisciplinary approach in cardiomyopathies: From genetics to advanced imaging

Cardiomyopathies are myocardial diseases characterized by mechanical and electrical dysfunction of the heart muscle which could lead to heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. Certainly, an accurate anamnesis, a meticulous physical examination, and an ECG are cornerstones in raising the diagnostic suspicion. However, cardiovascular imaging techniques are indispensable to diagnose a specific cardiomyopathy, to stratify the risk related to the disease and even to track the response to the therapy. Echocardiography is often the first exam that the patient undergoes, because of its non-invasiveness, wide availability, and cost-effectiveness. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging allows to integrate and implement the information obtained with the echography. Furthermore, cardiomyopathies' genetic basis has been investigated over the years and the list of genetic mutations deemed potentially pathogenic is expected to grow further. The aim of this review is to show echocardiographic, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and genetic features of several cardiomyopathies: dilated cardiomyopathy (DMC), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), myocarditis, and takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Cardiovascular Follow-up of Patients Treated for MIS-C

OBJECTIVES

To assess the prevalence of residual cardiovascular pathology by cardiac MRI (CMR), ambulatory rhythm monitoring, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in patients ∼6 months after multisystem inflammatory disease in children (MIS-C).

METHODS

Patients seen for MIS-C follow-up were referred for CMR, ambulatory rhythm monitoring, and CPET ∼6 months after illness. Patients were included if they had ≥1 follow-up study performed by the time of data collection. MIS-C was diagnosed on the basis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Myocardial injury during acute illness was defined as serum Troponin-I level >0.05 ng/mL or diminished left ventricular systolic function on echocardiogram.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine of 153 patients seen for MIS-C follow-up had ≥1 follow-up cardiac study between October 2020-June 2022. Thirty-seven (54%) had evidence of myocardial injury during acute illness. Of these, 12 of 26 (46%) had ≥1 abnormality on CMR, 4 of 33 (12%) had abnormal ambulatory rhythm monitor results, and 18 of 22 (82%) had reduced functional capacity on CPET. Of the 37 patients without apparent myocardial injury, 11 of 21 (52%) had ≥1 abnormality on CMR, 1 of 24 (4%) had an abnormal ambulatory rhythm monitor result, and 11 of 15 (73%) had reduced functional capacity on CPET. The prevalence of abnormal findings was not statistically significantly different between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of abnormal findings on follow-up cardiac studies and lack of significant difference between patients with and without apparent myocardial injury during hospitalization suggests that all patients treated for MIS-C warrant cardiology follow-up.

Viral Myocarditis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy as a Consequence-Changing Insights from Advanced Imaging

Advancements in quantitative cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) have revolutionized the diagnosis and management of viral myocarditis. With the addition of T1 and T2 mapping parameters in the updated Lake Louise Criteria, CMR can diagnose myocarditis with superior diagnostic accuracy compared with endomyocardial biopsy, especially in stable patients. Additionally, the unique value of CMR tissue characterization continues to improve the diagnosis and risk stratification of myocarditis. This review will discuss new and ongoing developments in cardiovascular imaging and its application to noninvasive diagnosis, prognostication, and management of viral myocarditis and its complications.

Diagnostic criteria for myocarditis on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: an educational review

Acute myocarditis represents one of the most mysterious acute cardiovascular diseases due to the great diversity of its clinical presentation, ranging from simple symptoms such as flu-like syndrome to lethal conditions such as cardiogenic shock or sudden cardiac death. The diagnosis will be suspicious in the presence of chest pain in a subject with risk factors, and guided mainly by the ECG, biological markers, trans-thoracic echocardiography, and the cardiac MRI. In this sense, and returning to the pathophysiological bases of this condition, the positive diagnosis will rely mainly on the detection of tissue abnormalities secondary to the myocardial inflammatory storm. Cardiac MRI represents a diagnostic pillar, given the information it can provide, both in analyzing the morphology, and the myocardial function but also tissue abnormalities that represent the main element of the diagnostic criteria of Lake Louisse.

Transformative Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Services in One Tertiary Cardiovascular Center

The aim of study was to investigate the transformative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services in one tertiary cardiovascular center. The retrospective observational cohort study analyzed data of MRI studies (n = 8137) performed from 1 January 2019 to 1 June 2022. A total of 987 patients underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI (CE-CMR). Referrals, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, gender, age, past COVID-19, MRI study protocols, and MRI data were analyzed. The annual absolute numbers and rates of CE-CMR procedures in our center significantly increased from 2019 to 2022 (p-value < 0.05). The increasing temporal trends were observed in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) and myocardial fibrosis (p-value < 0.05). The CE-CMR findings of myocarditis, acute myocardial infarction, ischemic cardiomyopathy, HCMP, postinfarction cardiosclerosis, and focal myocardial fibrosis prevailed in men compared with the corresponding values in women during the pandemic (p-value < 0.05). The frequency of myocardial fibrosis occurrence increased from ~67% in 2019 to ~84% in 2022 (p-value < 0.05). The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for MRI and CE-CMR. Patients with a history of COVID-19 had persistent and newly occurring symptoms of myocardial damage, suggesting chronic cardiac involvement consistent with long COVID-19 requiring continuous follow-up.

Women physicians in cardiovascular magnetic resonance: Past, present, and future

Women's engagement in medicine, and more specifically cardiovascular imaging and cardiovascular MRI (CMR), has undergone a slow evolution over the past several decades. As a result, an increasing number of women have joined the cardiovascular imaging community to contribute their expertise. This collaborative work summarizes the barriers that women in cardiovascular imaging have overcome over the past several years, the positive interventions that have been implemented to better support women in the field of CMR, and the challenges that still remain, with a special emphasis on women physicians.

Advanced Imaging Supports the Mechanistic Role of Autoimmunity and Plaque Rupture in COVID-19 Heart Involvement

The cardiovascular system is frequently affected by coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), particularly in hospitalized cases, and these manifestations are associated with a worse prognosis. Most commonly, heart involvement is represented by myocarditis, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism, while arrhythmias, heart valve damage, and pericarditis are less frequent. While the clinical suspicion is necessary for a prompt disease recognition, imaging allows the early detection of cardiovascular complications in patients with COVID-19. The combination of cardiothoracic approaches has been proposed for advanced imaging techniques, i.e., CT scan and MRI, for a simultaneous evaluation of cardiovascular structures, pulmonary arteries, and lung parenchyma. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the cardiovascular injury, and among these, it is established that the host immune system is responsible for the aberrant response characterizing severe COVID-19 and inducing organ-specific injury. We illustrate novel evidence to support the hypothesis that molecular mimicry may be the immunological mechanism for myocarditis in COVID-19. The present article provides a comprehensive review of the available evidence of the immune mechanisms of the COVID-19 cardiovascular injury and the imaging tools to be used in the diagnostic workup. As some of these techniques cannot be implemented for general screening of all cases, we critically discuss the need to maximize the sustainability and the specificity of the proposed tests while illustrating the findings of some paradigmatic cases.

Cardiovascular Disease in Women: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

BACKGROUND

 Sex-specific disparities are well documented for cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are differences in physiology and pathophysiology, pain perception, spectrum of disease, risk, therapeutic aspects, prognosis, and outcome. CVD represents a broad spectrum of disorders. This review focuses on cardiovascular and cardiac pathology.

METHOD

 This review summarizes the current state of the literature on cardiovascular disease in women from a radiological viewpoint. It aims to provide a deeper understanding of these differences and thereby alerts the reader to the potential of CT and MRI for diagnosing CVD in women. Special attention is paid to disparities in the underlying physiological and pathophysiological processes, clinical presentation, and the quality of care to provide a deep understanding of the topic. Cardiovascular and cardiac pathologies with a sex-specific pattern of disease are presented and typical CT and MRI findings are arranged and illustrated with imaging findings.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

 Sex-specific differences are not only sex hormonal in nature but are rooted in the epigenome and encompass a multitude of physiological systems. In fact, cardiovascular disease shows sex-specific characteristics spanning from incidence to clinical presentation, course of disease, and prognosis. This is of significance regarding pretest probabilities, the power of tests, imaging strategies, and interpretation of imaging results. Key sex-specific issues encompass obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), microvascular angina, myocardial infarction with non-obstructive CAD, and coronary artery dissection. Sex-specific patterns are also noted in myocardial disease and heart failure such as pregnancy-related heart disease, Takotsubo syndrome, and anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity.

KEY POINTS

  · Cardiovascular diseases have sex-specific characteristics.. · Imaging strategies and interpretation of imaging results should be adjusted for women.. · Imaging helps in the improvement of the sex-specific management of cardiovascular disease..

[Diagnostic and prognostic utility of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in myocarditis]

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) became over the last 30 years an essential tool in the management of patients with myocarditis. Noninvasive diagnosis of acute myocarditis relies on a clinical picture compatible with myocarditis and fulfilling of the updated 2018 Lake Louise criteria. These criteria include highlights of myocardial edema by conventional T2-weighted sequences or by T2 mapping in one hand and evidence of myocardial injury using late gadolinium enhancement sequences, T1 mapping or extra-cellular volume measurement in the other hand. It is recommended to perform basal examination in the 2 or 3 weeks following acute episode and to repeat CMR during follow-up. The literature reports excellent diagnostic accuracy, between 80% and 90%, making CMR a robust and reliable noninvasive alternative to endomyocardial biopsy. Besides, beyond its diagnostic performance, CMR can also help to identify patients with unfavourable long-term outcome. For instance, medio-ventricular and septal location of late gadolinium enhancement, degree of late gadolinium enhancement extent or high T2 mapping values are independent predictive factors of major cardio-vascular events.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging before and after therapeutic interventions for systemic sclerosis-associated myocarditis

OBJECTIVES

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging is increasingly used to evaluate cardiac involvement in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). We assessed changes, including inflammatory and/or fibrotic myocardial lesions detected by CMR, following therapeutic interventions for SSc-associated symptomatic myocarditis.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, myocarditis was diagnosed by CMR (2018 revised Lake Louise criteria) in 14 diffuse and 4 limited SSc patients (16/18 women, aged 56 ± 11 years, disease duration 8 ± 11 years, 17/18 with lung involvement) with cardiac symptoms and abnormal findings in echocardiography (4/18) and/or in 24-h Holter monitoring (12/14). CMR was repeated after 8 ± 3 months following administration of cyclophosphamide (n = 11, combined with corticosteroids in 3 and rituximab in 1), mycophenolate (n = 1), tocilizumab (n = 1), methotrexate/corticosteroids (n = 2), corticosteroids (n = 1) or autologous stem cell transplantation (n = 2).

RESULTS

Functional cardiac improvement was evident by increases in left (by 5.8%±7.8%, p= 0.006) and right ventricular ejection fraction (by 4.5%±11.4%, p= 0.085) in the second CMR compared with the first. Notably, Late Gadolinium Enhancement, currently considered to denote replacement fibrosis, decreased by 3.1%±3.8% (p= 0.003), resolving in 6 patients. Markers of myocardial oedema, namely T2-ratio and T2-mapping, decreased by 0.27 ± 0.40 (p= 0.013) and 6.0 ± 7 (p= 0.025), respectively. Conversely, both T1-mapping, considered to reflect acute oedema and diffuse fibrosis, and extracellular volume fraction, reflecting diffuse fibrosis, remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

CMR may distinguish between reversible inflammatory/fibrotic and irreversible fibrotic lesions in SSc patients with active myocarditis, confirming the unique nature of primary cardiac involvement in SSc. Whether, and how, CMR should be used to monitor treatment effects in SSc-associated myocarditis warrants further study.

Comprehensive Cardiac Magnetic Resonance to Detect Subacute Myocarditis

(1) Background: Compared to acute myocarditis in the initial phase, detection of subacute myocarditis with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters can be challenging due to a lower degree of myocardial inflammation compared to the acute phase. (2) Objectives: To systematically evaluate non-invasive CMR imaging parameters in acute and subacute myocarditis. (3) Methods: 48 patients (age 37 (IQR 28−55) years; 52% female) with clinically suspected myocarditis were consecutively included. Patients with onset of symptoms ≤2 weeks prior to 1.5T CMR were assigned to the acute group (n = 25, 52%), patients with symptom duration >2 to 6 weeks were assigned to the subacute group (n = 23, 48%). CMR protocol comprised morphology, function, 3D-strain, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging and mapping (T1, ECV, T2). (4) Results: Highest diagnostic performance in the detection of subacute myocarditis was achieved by ECV evaluation either as single parameter or in combination with T1 mapping (applying a segmental or global increase of native T1 > 1015 ms and ECV > 28%), sensitivity 96% and accuracy 91%. Compared to subacute myocarditis, acute myocarditis demonstrated higher prevalence and extent of LGE (AUC 0.76) and increased T2 (AUC 0.66). (5) Conclusions: A comprehensive CMR approach allows reliable diagnosis of clinically suspected subacute myocarditis. Thereby, ECV alone or in combination with native T1 mapping indicated the best performance for diagnosing subacute myocarditis. Acute vs. subacute myocarditis is difficult to discriminate by CMR alone, due to chronological connection and overlap of pathologic findings.

Using Multiparametric Cardiac Magnetic Resonance to Phenotype and Differentiate Biopsy-Proven Chronic from Healed Myocarditis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy

(1) Objectives: To discriminate biopsy-proven myocarditis (chronic vs. healed myocarditis) and to differentiate from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). (2) Methods: A total of 259 consecutive patients (age 51 ± 15 years; 28% female) who underwent both endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and CMR in the years 2008−2021 were evaluated. According to right-ventricular EMB results, patients were divided into either chronic (n = 130, 50%) or healed lymphocytic myocarditis (n = 60, 23%) or DCM (n = 69, 27%). The CMR protocol included functional, strain, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging, T2w imaging, and T2 mapping. (3) Results: Left-ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF) was higher, and the indexed end-diastolic volume (EDV) was lower in myocarditis patients (chronic: 42%, median 96 mL/m²; healed: 49%, 86 mL/m²) compared to the DCM patients (31%, 120 mL/m²), p < 0.0001. Strain analysis demonstrated lower contractility in DCM patients vs. myocarditis patients, p < 0.0001. Myocarditis patients demonstrated a higher LGE prevalence (68% chronic; 59% healed) than the DCM patients (45%), p = 0.01. Chronic myocarditis patients showed a higher myocardial edema prevalence and ratio (59%, median 1.3) than healed myocarditis (23%, 1.3) and DCM patients (13%, 1.0), p < 0.0001. T2 mapping revealed elevated values more frequently in chronic (90%) than in healed (21%) myocarditis and DCM (23%), p < 0.0001. T2 mapping yielded an AUC of 0.89 (sensitivity 90%, specificity 76%) in the discrimination of chronic from healed myocarditis and an AUC of 0.92 (sensitivity 86%, specificity 91%) in the discrimination of chronic myocarditis from DCM, both p < 0.0001. (4) Conclusions: Multiparametric CMR imaging, including functional parameters, LGE and T2 mapping, may allow differentiation of chronic from healed myocarditis and DCM and therefore help to optimize patient management in this clinical setting.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Rheumatology to Detect Cardiac Involvement Since Early and Pre-clinical Stages of the Autoimmune Diseases: A Narrative Review

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) encompass multisystem disorders, and cardiovascular involvement is a well-known feature of autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic conditions. Unfortunately, subclinical and early cardiovascular involvement remains clinically silent and often undetected, despite its well-documented impact on patient management and prognostication with an even more significant effect on severe and future MACE events as the disease progresses. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), today, commands a unique position of supremacy versus its competition in cardiac assessment and is the gold standard for the non-invasive evaluation of cardiac function, structure, morphology, tissue characterization, and flow with the capability of evaluating biventricular function; myocardium for edema, ischemia, fibrosis, infarction; valves for thickening, large masses; pericardial inflammation, pericardial effusions, and tamponade; cardiac cavities for thrombosis; conduction related abnormalities and features of microvascular and large vessel involvement. As precise and early detection of cardiovascular involvement plays a critical role in improving the outcome of rheumatic and autoimmune conditions, our review aims to highlight the evolving role of CMR in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), limited sclerosis (LSc), adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) (formerly Churg-Strauss syndrome), and DRESS syndrome (DS). It draws attention to the need for concerted, systematic global interdisciplinary research to improve future outcomes in autoimmune-related rheumatic conditions with multiorgan, multisystem, and cardiovascular involvement.

Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance/European Society of Cardiovascular Imaging/American Society of Echocardiography/Society for Pediatric Radiology/North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging Guidelines for the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in pediatric congenital and acquired heart disease : Endorsed by The American Heart Association

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been utilized in the management and care of pediatric patients for nearly 40 years. It has evolved to become an invaluable tool in the assessment of the littlest of hearts for diagnosis, pre-interventional management and follow-up care. Although mentioned in a number of consensus and guidelines documents, an up-to-date, large, stand-alone guidance work for the use of CMR in pediatric congenital 36 and acquired 35 heart disease endorsed by numerous Societies involved in the care of these children is lacking. This guidelines document outlines the use of CMR in this patient population for a significant number of heart lesions in this age group and although admittedly, is not an exhaustive treatment, it does deal with an expansive list of many common clinical issues encountered in daily practice.

Case Report: Multimodal Imaging Guides the Management of an Eosinophilic Leukemia Patient With Eosinophilic Myocarditis and Intracardiac Thrombus

Background

Eosinophilic leukemia (EL) is a rare, serious and potentially life-threatening condition characterized by the overproduction of eosinophils leading to tissue eosinophilic infiltration and damage. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, progressive eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and follow-up surveillance combined with multimodal imaging are crucial for appropriate treatment of EM.

Case Summary

It’s a rare case of EL with EM and intracardiac thrombus in a 59-year-old patient who presented with asthenia for 3 weeks. Full blood count analysis indicated significant eosinophilia. Bone marrow aspirate revealed dysplastic eosinophilia and a FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion gene (4q12) was detected, confirming EL. Echocardiography revealed EM with intracardiac thrombus. This was later confirmed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was commenced on imatinib and prednisolone and good clinical response was obtained. Through 18F-FAPI PET/CT imaging, we obtained in vivo visualization of fibroblast activation changes in the early stage of cardiac structure remodeling. With anti-fibrotic therapy after heart failure, the patient achieved a good clinical response.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates in vivo visualization of fibroblast activation after EM. Multimodality imaging can provide early diagnosis and may guide tailored antifibrotic therapy in early stage of EM.

Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance/European Society of Cardiovascular Imaging/American Society of Echocardiography/Society for Pediatric Radiology/North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging Guidelines for the Use of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Pediatric Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease: Endorsed by The American Heart Association

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance has been utilized in the management and care of pediatric patients for nearly 40 years. It has evolved to become an invaluable tool in the assessment of the littlest of hearts for diagnosis, pre-interventional management and follow-up care. Although mentioned in a number of consensus and guidelines documents, an up-to-date, large, stand-alone guidance work for the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in pediatric congenital 36 and acquired 35 heart disease endorsed by numerous Societies involved in the care of these children is lacking. This guidelines document outlines the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in this patient population for a significant number of heart lesions in this age group and although admittedly, is not an exhaustive treatment, it does deal with an expansive list of many common clinical issues encountered in daily practice.

Cardiac involvement in cystic fibrosis evaluated using cardiopulmonary magnetic resonance

Cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator is expressed in myocardium, but cardiac involvement in CF remains poorly understood. The recent development of a combined cardiopulmonary magnetic resonance imaging technology allows for a simultaneous interrogation of cardiac and pulmonary structure and function. The aim of this study was to investigate myocardial manifestations in adults with CF, both in a stable state and during an acute respiratory exacerbation, and to investigate the relationship between cardiac and pulmonary disease. Healthy adult volunteers (n = 12) and adults with CF (n = 10) were studied using a multiparametric cardiopulmonary magnetic resonance protocol. CF patients were scanned during an acute respiratory exacerbation and re-scanned when stable. Stable CF was associated with left ventricular dilatation and hypertrophy (LVH; left ventricular mass: CF 59 ± 9 g/m2 vs. control 50 ± 8 g/m2; p = 0.028). LVH was predominantly driven by extracellular myocardial matrix expansion (extracellular matrix mass: CF 27.5 ± 3.4 g vs. control 23.6 ± 5.2 g; p = 0.006; extracellular volume [ECV]: CF 27.6 [24.7-29.8]% vs. control 24.8 [22.9-26.0]%; p = 0.030). Acute CF was associated with an acute reduction in left ventricular function (ejection fraction: acute 57 ± 3% vs. stable 61 ± 5%; p = 0.025) and there was a suggestion of myocardial oedema. Myocardial oedema severity was strongly associated with the severity of airflow limitation (r = - 0.726, p = 0.017). Multiparametric cardiopulmonary magnetic resonance technology allows for a simultaneous interrogation of cardiac and pulmonary structure and function. Stable CF is associated with adverse myocardial remodelling, including left ventricular systolic dilatation and hypertrophy, driven by myocardial fibrosis. CF exacerbation is associated with acute myocardial contractile dysfunction. There is also a suggestion of myocardial oedema in the acute period which is related to pulmonary disease severity.

Early diagnosis of cardiomyopathies by cardiac magnetic resonance. Overview of the main criteria

Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are diseases of the heart muscle. They include a variety of myocardial disorders that manifest with various structural and functional phenotypes and are frequently genetic. Myocardial disease caused by known cardiovascular causes (such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, or valvular disease) should be distinguished from CMPs for classification and management purposes. Identification of various CMP phenotypes relies primarily upon echocardiographic evaluation. In selected cases, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) or computed tomography may be useful to identify and localize fatty infiltration, inflammation, scar/fibrosis, focal hypertrophy, and better visualize the left ventricular apex and right ventricle.  CMR imaging has emerged as a comprehensive tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with CMPs. The accuracy and reproducibility in evaluating cardiac structures, the unique ability of non-invasive tissue characterization and the lack of ionizing radiation, make CMR very attractive as a potential "all-in-one technique". Indeed, it provides valuable data to confirm or establish the diagnosis, screen subclinical cases, identify aetiology, establish the prognosis. Additionally, it provides information for setting a risk stratification (based on evaluation of proved independent prognostic factors as ejection fraction, end-systolic-volume, myocardial fibrosis) and follow-up. Last, it helps to monitor the response to the therapy. In this review, the pivotal role of CMR in the comprehensive evaluation of patients with CMP is discussed, highlighting the key features guiding differential diagnosis and the assessment of prognosis.

Emerging Role of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Diagnosing Myocarditis: A Blunder or The Way To Get the Problem Sorted?

Acute myocarditis is a disease affecting the myocardial tissue, which is caused by infections, rheumatic diseases, especially sarcoidosis, or certain therapies. Its diagnosis may be difficult, owing to its variable clinical presentation. In this setting, cardiac magnetic resonance plays a pivotal role in detecting myocardial inflammation through qualitative, semiquantitative, and quantitative parameters, in particular with the new quantitative techniques such as T1 and T2 mapping, combined or not with late gadolinium enhancement evaluation. This is in accordance with the revised Lake Louise criteria. In this review, the emerging role of the new cutting-edge cardiac magnetic resonance imaging techniques in diagnosing myocarditis is extensively presented.

Personalized Management of Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy in Clinical Practice

Myocarditis is an inflammatory heart disease induced by infectious and non-infectious causes frequently triggering immune-mediated pathologic mechanisms leading to myocardial damage and dysfunction. In approximately half of the patients, acute myocarditis resolves spontaneously while in the remaining cases, it may evolve into serious complications including inflammatory cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, death, or heart transplantation. Due to the large variability in clinical presentation, unpredictable course of the disease, and lack of established causative treatment, myocarditis represents a challenging diagnosis in modern cardiology. Moreover, an increase in the incidence of myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy has been observed in recent years. However, there is a growing potential of available non-invasive diagnostic methods (biomarkers, serum anti-heart autoantibodies (AHA), microRNAs, speckle tracking echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance T1 and T2 tissue mapping, positron emission tomography), which may refine the diagnostic workup and/or noninvasive follow-up. Personalized management should include the use of endomyocardial biopsy and AHA, which may allow the etiopathogenetic subsets of myocarditis (infectious, non-infectious, and/or immune-mediated) to be distinguished and implementation of disease-specific therapies. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy, and outline some practical diagnostic, therapeutic, and follow-up algorithms to facilitate comprehensive individualized management of these patients.

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Utility of Contemporary Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Suspected Acute Myocarditis

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is used to investigate suspected acute myocarditis, however most supporting data is retrospective and few studies have included parametric mapping. We aimed to investigate the utility of contemporary multiparametric CMR in a large prospective cohort of patients with suspected acute myocarditis, the impact of real-world variations in practice, the relationship between clinical characteristics and CMR findings and factors predicting outcome. 540 consecutive patients we recruited. The 113 patients diagnosed with myocarditis on CMR performed within 40 days of presentation were followed-up for 674 (504–915) days. 39 patients underwent follow-up CMR at 189 (166–209) days. CMR provided a positive diagnosis in 72% of patients, including myocarditis (40%) and myocardial infarction (11%). In multivariable analysis, male sex and shorter presentation-to-scan interval were associated with a diagnosis of myocarditis. Presentation with heart failure (HF) was associated with lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), higher LGE burden and higher extracellular volume fraction. Lower baseline LVEF predicted follow-up LV dysfunction. Multiparametric CMR has a high diagnostic yield in suspected acute myocarditis. CMR should be performed early and include parametric mapping. Patients presenting with HF and reduced LVEF require closer follow-up while those with normal CMR may not require it.

Multiparametric Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Approach in Diagnosing, Monitoring, and Prognostication of Myocarditis

Myocarditis represents the entity of an inflamed myocardium and is a diagnostic challenge caused by its heterogeneous presentation. Contemporary noninvasive evaluation of patients with clinically suspected myocarditis using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) includes dimensions and function of the heart chambers, conventional T2-weighted imaging, late gadolinium enhancement, novel T1 and T2 mapping, and extracellular volume fraction calculation. CMR feature-tracking, texture analysis, and artificial intelligence emerge as potential modern techniques to further improve diagnosis and prognostication in this clinical setting. This review will describe the evidence surrounding different CMR methods and image postprocessing methods and highlight their values for clinical decision making, monitoring, and risk stratification across stages of this condition.

The Role of Cardiac Imaging in the Evaluation of Cardiac Involvement in Systemic Diseases

For systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, systemic vasculitis, myopathies, and mixed connective tissue diseases, cardiac disease is a major contributing factor for morbidity and mortality. The cardiovascular manifestations are the result of various pathophysiological components, which complicate management. Furthermore, the signs and symptoms can be subtle and missed due to the complex nature of the underlying condition. As a result, various imaging approaches play an imperative role in diagnosis and prognosis. The evolving role of these modalities could lead to risk stratification and improved therapies in the future. In conclusion, our review article will highlight the role of cardiac imaging in the evaluation of cardiac involvement for systemic diseases.

Management of myocarditis in clinical practice

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.

T2-weighted short-tau-inversion-recovery imaging reflects disease activity of cardiac sarcoidosis

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the diagnostic performance of semi-quantitative hyperintensity on T2-weighted short-tau-inversion-recovery black-blood (T2W-STIR-BB) images in identifying active cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) in patients, and compared it with that of ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

METHODS

This retrospective study included 40 steroid-naive patients (age 63.1±12.9 years, 20 men) diagnosed with CS who underwent both cardiac MRI and FDG-PET imaging. Active CS cases were defined as satisfying at least one of the following criteria for conventional indices: exacerbation of ventricular arrhythmia, newly identified advanced atrioventricular block, greater than 5% decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction on echocardiography, positive finding on gallium-scintigraphy or elevated levels of sarcoidosis-related serum biomarkers. T2W-STIR-BB images were semi-quantitatively analysed using a myocardium-to-spleen ratio (MSR). The diagnostic performance of T2W-STIR-BB and FDG-PET imaging for detecting active CS was investigated.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients satisfied at least one criterion and were considered as having active CS. Thirty patients (75%) tested positive with T2W-STIR-BB imaging, and 25 patients (63%) tested positive with FDG-PET. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values for identifying active CS by semi-quantitative MSR on T2W-STIR-BB images were 79%, 43%, 73%, 87% and 30%, respectively. These results were statistically comparable to those of FDG-PET (70%, 71%, 70%, 92% and 33%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

When using conventional diagnostic indices for active CS as the gold standard, T2W-STIR-BB imaging demonstrated comparable diagnostic performance to that of FDG-PET. The semi-quantitative analysis of high signal intensity on T2W-STIR-BB images using MSR was useful for detection of active CS.

Acute Myocarditis in Children: An Overview of Treatment and Recent Patents

BACKGROUND

Pediatric myocarditis is rare but challenging. This overview summarized the current knowledge and recent patents on childhood myocarditis.

METHODS

Clinical queries and keywords of "myocarditis" and "childhood" were used as search engine.

RESULTS

Viral infections are the most common causes of acute myocarditis. Affected children often have a prodrome of fever, malaise, and myalgia. Clinical manifestations of acute myocarditis in children can be nonspecific. Some children may present with easy fatigability, poor appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, exercise intolerance, respiratory distress/tachypnea, dyspnea at rest, orthopnea, chronic cough with wheezing, chest pain, unexplained tachycardia, hypotension, syncope, and hepatomegaly. Supraventricular arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and heart block may be present. A subset of patients have fulminant myocarditis and present with cardiovascular collapse, which may progress to severe cardiogenic shock, and even death. A high index of suspicion is crucial to its diagnosis and timely management. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is important in aiding clinical diagnosis while, endomyocardial biopsy remains the gold standard. The treatment consists of supportive therapy, ranging from supplemental oxygen and fluid restriction to mechanical circulatory support. Angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors, angio-tensin II receptor blockers, β-blockers, and aldosterone antagonists might be used for the treatment of heart failure while, immunosuppression treatments remain controversial. There are a few recent patents targeting prevention or treatment of viral myocarditis, including an immunogenic composition comprising a PCV-2 antigen, glutathione-S-transferase P1, neuregulins, NF-[kappa] B inhibitor, a pharmaceutical composition which contains 2-amino-2- (2- (4-octyl phenyl) - ethyl) propane 1,3-diol, a composition containing pycnojenol, Chinese herbal concoctions, and a Korean oral rapamycin. Evidence of their efficacy is still lacking.

CONCLUSION

This article reviews the current literature regarding etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of acute myocarditis in children.

Update on acute myocarditis

Acute myocarditis (AM), a recent-onset inflammation of the heart, has heterogeneous clinical presentations, varying from minor symptoms to high-risk cardiac conditions with severe heart failure, refractory arrhythmias, and cardiogenic shock. AM is moving from being a definitive diagnosis based on histological evidence of inflammatory infiltrates on cardiac tissue to a working diagnosis supported by high sensitivity troponin increase in association with specific cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) findings. Though experts still diverge between those advocating for histological definition versus those supporting a mainly clinical definition of myocarditis, in the real-world practice the diagnosis of AM has undoubtedly shifted from being mainly biopsy-based to solely CMRI-based in most of clinical scenarios. It is thus important to clearly define selected settings where EMB is a must, as information derived from histology is essential for an optimal management. As in other medical conditions, a risk-based approach should be promoted in order to identify the most severe AM cases requiring appropriate bundles of care, including early recognition, transfer to tertiary centers, aggressive circulatory supports with inotropes and mechanical devices, histologic confirmation and eventual immunosuppressive therapy. Despite improvements in recognition and treatment of AM, including a broader use of promising mechanical circulatory supports, severe forms of AM are still burdened by dismal outcomes. This review is focused on recent clinical studies and registries that shed new insights on AM. Attention will be paid to contemporary outcomes and predictors of prognosis, the emerging entity of immune checkpoint inhibitors-associated myocarditis, updated CMRI diagnostic criteria, new data on the use of temporary mechanical circulatory supports in fulminant myocarditis. The role of viruses as etiologic agents will be reviewed and a brief update on pediatric AM is also provided. Finally, we summarize a risk-based approach to AM, based on available evidence and clinical experience.

Serum Troponin T Concentrations Are Frequently Elevated in Advanced Skin Cancer Patients Prior to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Experience From a Single Tertiary Referral Center

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has revolutionized the treatment of several human malignancies, particularly metastatic skin cancer. However, immune-related myocarditis (irM), an immune-mediated adverse event (irAE), is often fatal. In the absence of a reliable biomarker, measurement of pre-ICI therapy serum troponin concentration has been proposed to identify patients at risk of developing irM, although real-world studies examining this strategy are lacking. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed the case records of all patients who commenced ICI therapy between January 2018 and December 2019 in a single university skin cancer center (n = 121) to (i) determine the incidence of irM, (ii) establish the frequency of pretreatment serum hsTnT elevations, and (iii) to establish whether this identified patients who subsequently developed irM. Only one patient developed irM, resulting in an overall incidence of 0.8%. Pretreatment hsTnT was measured in 47 patients and was elevated in 13 (28%). Elevated serum hsTnT concentrations were associated with chronic renal failure (p = 0.02) and diabetes (p < 0.0002). Pretreatment hsTnT was not elevated in the patient who developed fulminant irM. Pre-immunotherapy serum hsTnT concentrations were often asymptomatically elevated in patients with advanced skin cancer, none of whom subsequently developed irM during ICI therapy. However, large studies are required to assess the positive and negative predictive values of hsTnT for the development of irM. In the meantime, elevated hsTnT concentrations should be investigated before initiation of immunotherapy and closely monitored during early treatment cycles, where the risk of irM is greatest.

Diagnostic Value of Gadolinium Delayed Enhancement Combined with Longitudinal Relaxation Time Quantitative Imaging for Myocardial Amyloidosis

This article is based on the use of GE combined with longitudinal lag time to quantify cardiac MRI screening for amyloidosis autologous thousand-cell transplantation, combined with clinical routine risk stratification, method for risk assessment of patients with amyloidosis and monitor the patient’s evaluation of the efficacy after treatment. Cardiac involvement with systemic amyloidosis is of great significance for both treatment and prognosis assessment, and is essential for quantitative and qualitative diagnosis or objectively providing prognostic value. In summary, myocardial amyloidosis needs to be studied before heart failure. It is recommended that patients undergo routine cardiac MRI examination to comprehensively evaluate cardiac morphology, function, risk stratification, prognosis, and treatment guidance. Diagnosis based on a single modality has been replaced by a comprehensive multi-modality method, and there is sufficient evidence to show the potential value of cardiac. However, with the continuous improvement of quality and value in the medical field, the field of cardiac will inevitably develop. The predicted and baseline indexes of myocardial strain predicted cardiac remission were 0.96 and 0.79, respectively. When the predictive value of clinical routine indicators and cardiac indicators is analyzed using blood response as the evaluation standard, the reduction in end-diastolic volume/body surface area (P = 0.031) can predict complete haematological remission. Folded cross-validation test shows that the end-diastolic volume/body surface area reduction and the baseline index IgG combined with myocardial strain predict AUC of complete blood remission of 0.78 and 0.76, respectively. This study will also continue to follow up and increase the sample size to verify the current conclusions.

Case Report: Acute Eosinophilic Myocarditis With a Low-Flow Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Phenotype

Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare subtype of myocarditis characterized by myocardial eosinophilic infiltration, and it is potentially fatal if left untreated. Although endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is a cornerstone for the histological diagnosis of acute eosinophilic myocarditis (AEM), as it is an invasive procedure and has a low diagnostic accuracy, the diagnosis of AEM with hemodynamic instability remains challenging. We describe a case of AEM presenting as low-flow heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), with rapid progression to cardiogenic shock. The constellation of peripheral eosinophilia, increased left ventricular wall thickness, and HFpEF raised the suspicion of AEM. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan revealed heterogeneous hypoenhancement localized in the basal-to-mid septal and mid anterolateral walls of the left ventricle, strongly suggestive of acute inflammation. Based upon these findings, we performed CT-guided EMB, which lead to a definitive diagnosis. Subsequent high-dose corticosteroids allowed a rapid and dramatic recovery and normalization of cardiac structure and function. This case highlights the clinical importance of assessing AEM as a rare cause of HFpEF and the usefulness of CT-guided EMB in patients with hemodynamic instability.

Utility of multi-parametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of the lacrimal gland for diagnosing and staging Graves' ophthalmopathy

PURPOSE

To explore radiological changes of the lacrimal gland (LG) in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) based on multi-parametric quantitative MRI and its clinical utility in LG diagnosis and activity in GO.

METHODS

We enrolled 99 consecutive patients with GO (198 eyes) and 12 Graves' Disease (GD) patients (24 eyes) from July 2018 to June 2020. Clinical, laboratory, and MRI data were collected at the first visit. Based on clinical activity scores, eyes with GO were subdivided into active and inactive groups. T2-relaxation time (T2) and the absolute reduction in T1-relaxation time (ΔT1) were determined. After MRI and processing, we performed descriptive data analysis and group comparisons. Novel logistic regression predictive models were developed for diagnosing and staging GO. Diagnostic performance of MRI parameters and models was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

LG in GO group had significantly higher T2 and ΔT1 values than the GD group [106.25(95.30,120.21) vs. 83.35(78.15,91.45), P<0.001, and 662.62(539.33,810.95) vs. 547.35(458.62,585.57), P = 0.002, respectively]. The GO group had higher T2 of LG indicating higher disease activity [110.93(102.54,127.67) vs. 93.29(87.06,101.96), P < 0.001]. Combining T2 and ΔT1 values of LG, Model I had higher diagnostic value for distinguishing GO from GD (AUC=0.94, 95 %CI: 0.89,0.99, P<0.001). Meanwhile, T2 of LG had higher diagnostic value for grading GO activity (AUC = 0.84, 95 %CI: 0.76,0.92, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Multi-parametric quantitative MRI parameters of the LG in GO were significantly altered. Novel models combining LG T2 and ΔT1 values showed excellent predictive performances in diagnosing GO. Furthermore, T2 of LG showed practical utility for staging GO.

The potential role of plasma miR-155 and miR-206 as circulatory biomarkers in inflammatory cardiomyopathy

AIMS

Establishing a diagnosis of inflammatory cardiomyopathy (iCMP) by non-invasive means remains challenging despite advances in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Previous studies suggested the involvement of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of iCMP. We examined the association of a predefined set of circulatory microRNAs with clinical characteristics of iCMP and evaluated their diagnostic performance in suspected iCMP.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Eighty-nine patients with clinical suspicion of iCMP were included in the analysis. All patients underwent cardiac catheterization with left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging applying the Lake Louise criteria (LLC). Plasma levels of miR-21, miR-126, miR-133a, miR-146b, miR-155, and miR-206 were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Based on immunohistological findings on endomyocardial biopsy, iCMP was diagnosed in 67% of study participants (n = 60). Plasma levels of miR-155 and miR-206 were significantly increased in patients with iCMP as compared with patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (P = 0.008 and P = 0.009, respectively). In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, miR-155 and miR-206 demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for iCMP (0.68 and 0.67, respectively) compared with LLC [area under the curve (AUC) 0.60], Troponin T (AUC 0.51), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (AUC 0.51). While baseline miR-155 and miR-206 plasma levels were predictive for biopsy-proven iCMP (odds ratio = 2.61, 95% confidence interval = 1.28-5.31, P = 0.008 and odds ratio = 2.65, 95% confidence interval = 1.27-5.52, P = 0.009) on univariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of positive LLC, high baseline C-reactive protein, or presence of clinical symptoms and signs of viral infection failed to predict iCMP (P > 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The present data suggest that plasma levels of miR-206 and miR-155 are potential novel biomarkers for confirming the diagnosis of iCMP.

Combination of echocardiography and emergency endomyocardial biopsy for suspected myocarditis in the cardiovascular emergency medical care

Myocarditis is a fatal inflammatory disease of myocardium, diagnosed with clinical and histopathological findings by endomyocardial biopsy (EMB). Myocarditis has a variety of clinical presentations and a dynamic and sometimes rapid process of severity. Echocardiography plays an important role in the management of myocarditis because it has noninvasiveness and portability. Once acute myocarditis is suspected by an echocardiography, pathological information should be required as early as possible. In our cardiovascular center, emergency EMB suspecting myocarditis was performed in 19 cases (1.3%) among consecutive 1469 cases (70.1 ± 12.6 years old, male 67.5%) undergoing emergency coronary angiograms from April 2014 to September 2017. Hematoxylin-eosin stain of the biopsy specimens were prepared with microwave-accelerated histoprocessing within 3-5 hours after EMB for rapid pathological diagnosis of myocarditis. We reviewed the value of emergency echo-EMB combination leading to the early decision making of intensive care, corticosteroids and proper mechanical circulatory support prior to the possible sudden collapse in patients with myocarditis.

Management of Patients With Giant Cell Myocarditis: JACC Review Topic of the Week

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare, often rapidly progressive and potentially fatal, disease due to T-cell lymphocyte-mediated inflammation of the myocardium that typically affects young and middle-aged adults. Frequently, the disease course is marked by acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, intractable ventricular arrhythmias, and/or heart block. Diagnosis is often difficult due to its varied clinical presentation and overlap with other cardiovascular conditions. Although cardiac biomarkers and multimodality imaging are often used as initial diagnostic tests, endomyocardial biopsy is required for definitive diagnosis. Combination immunosuppressive therapy, along with guideline-directed medical therapy, has led to a paradigm shift in the management of giant cell myocarditis resulting in an improvement in overall and transplant-free survival. Early diagnosis and prompt management can decrease the risk of transplantation or death, which remain common in patients who present with cardiogenic shock.

Cardiac MRI and Myocardial Injury in COVID-19: Diagnosis, Risk Stratification and Prognosis

Myocardial injury is a common complication of the COVID-19 illness and is associated with a worsened prognosis. Systemic hyperinflammation seen in the advanced stage of COVID-19 likely contributes to myocardial injury. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is the preferred imaging modality for non-invasive evaluation in acute myocarditis, enabling risk stratification and prognostication. Modified scanning protocols in the pandemic setting reduce risk of exposure while providing critical data regarding cardiac tissue inflammation and fibrosis, chamber remodeling, and contractile function. The growing use of CMR in clinical practice to assess myocardial injury will improve understanding of the acute and chronic sequelae of myocardial inflammation from various pathological etiologies.

Viral myocarditis: 1917-2020: From the Influenza A to the COVID-19 pandemics

Myocarditis is common during viral infection with cases described as early as the influenza pandemic of 1917, and the current COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. The hallmark is elevated troponin, which occurs in 36% of COVID patients, with electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and cardiac magnetic resonance being valuable tools to assist in diagnosis. Cardiac inflammation may occur secondary to direct cardiac invasion with the virus, or to intense cytokine storm, often encountered during the course of the disease. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and judicious use of beta-blockers are beneficial in management of myocarditis. Corticosteroids may be avoided during the very early phase of viral replication, but can be of clear benefit in hospitalized, critically ill patients. Statins are beneficial to shorten the course of the disease and may decrease mortality.

Acute Myocarditis After Black Widow Spider Bite: A Case Report

The black widow spider (BWS) is a venomous spider whose bite can cause various clinical conditions that range from local damage to serious systemic complications, including death. Cases of myocarditis following a BWS bite are rare but they can be fatal on occasion. However, the prognostic significance of the bite and presentation of myocarditis is unknown. Our case involved a 50-year-old man who presented with myocarditis after being bitten by a BWS and subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit for cardiac monitoring. During the hospital stay, he showed worsening signs on both the electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluations despite therapeutic success. Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance and coronary angiography investigations showed no significant alterations; blood and instrumental test results slowly improved, and the patient was discharged home after 12 days of hospitalization without complications. This case illustrates that acute myocarditis, although an infrequent complication of BWS bite, has the potential to be lethal. The correct diagnosis, which is not always easy to formulate, is important to identify those patients who can benefit from careful monitoring and specific therapies aimed at reducing the risk of life.

Case Report: Immune Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy With IgG Antibodies to 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coenzyme a Reductase (HMGCR) May Present With Acute Systolic Heart Failure

Involvement of cardiac muscle is felt to be very uncommon in anti-HMGCR myopathy, and therefore early cardiac evaluation is not considered a high priority for this condition. We herein present the case of a 72 year-old woman admitted due to dyspnea and orthopnea, who, in retrospect, suffered from proximal more than distal muscle weakness for 3 months prior to admission. She was found to have acute systolic heart failure. Serologic testing showed positive 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) IgG antibodies, and muscle biopsy showed necrotizing myopathy. No alternative explanation for heart failure was found. Despite immunotherapy and symptomatic treatment, she died from multiorgan failure. Our study suggests that heart failure in anti HMGCR myopathy may not be as rare as previously thought, and therefore early cardiac evaluation should be considered in patients with this diagnosis, to minimize morbidity and mortality.

Effect of Acute Immunosuppression on Left Ventricular Recovery and Mortality in Fulminant Viral Myocarditis: A Case Series and Review of Literature

Background

Fulminant viral myocarditis (FVM) is a rare cause of cardiogenic shock associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. An inappropriately activated immune system results in severe myocardial inflammation. Acute immunosuppressive therapy for FVM therefore gained in popularity and was described in numerous retrospective studies.

Methods

We conducted an extensive review of the literature and compared it with our single-centre retrospective review of all cases of FVM from 2009-2019 to evaluate the possible effect of acute immunosuppression with intravenous immunoglobulins and/or high dose corticosteroids in patients with FVM.

Results

We report on 17 patients with a mean age of 46 ± 15 years with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 15 ± 9% at admission. Fourteen (82%) of our patients had acute LVEF recovery to ≥ 45% after a mean time from immunosuppression of 74 ± 49 hours (3.1 days). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was required in 35% (6/17) of our patients for an average support of 126 ± 37 hours. Overall mortality was 12% (2/17). No patient needed a long-term left ventricular assist device or heart transplant. All surviving patients achieved complete long-term LVEF recovery.

Conclusions

Our cohort of 17 severely ill patients received acute immunosuppressive therapy and showed a rapid LVEF recovery, short duration of ECMO support, and low mortality rate. Our suggested scheme of investigation and treatment is presented. These results bring more cases of successfully treated FVM with immunosuppression and ECMO to the literature, which might stimulate further prospective trials or a registry.

Myocarditis: imaging up to date

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart muscle, diagnosed by histological, immunological, and immunohistochemical criteria. Endomyocardial biopsy represents the diagnostic gold standard for its diagnosis but is infrequently used. Due to its noninvasive ability to detect the presence of myocardial edema, hyperemia and necrosis/fibrosis, Cardiac MR imaging is routinely used in the clinical practice for the diagnosis of acute myocarditis. Recently pixel-wise mapping of T1 and T2 relaxation time have been introduced into the clinical Cardiac MR protocol increasing its accuracy. Our paper will review the role of MR imaging in the diagnosis of acute myocarditis.

Case report of severe PCR-confirmed COVID-19 myocarditis in a European patient manifesting in mid January 2020

Background

Viral genesis is the most common cause of myocarditis. COVID-19-associated myocarditis seems to be a notable extrapulmonary manifestation, which may result in the need for a different treatment. There has been no positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of SARS-CoV-2 in heart specimens, thus far.

Case summary

A 48-year-old male patient presented with fever, dyspnoea, and haemoptysis. Laboratory findings showed highly elevated inflammatory and cardiac damage markers. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral, patchy peripheral ground-glass opacities with a crazy-paving pattern, focal consolidations, and mild pleural effusions. Cardiac imaging with echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected a reduced biventricular function. MRI additionally showed myocardial oedema and late gadolinium enhancement. Lung and heart biopsies were performed, revealing alveolitis with necrosis and acute lymphocytic myocarditis. Testing for usual cardiotropic viruses was negative, and no aspects of vasculitis or granuloma could be found. Due to fulfilling the criteria, the patient was diagnosed with rheumatic vasculitis. Treatment with cyclophosphamide and steroids was initiated. Later, the patient reported a history of travel to Tyrol in mid January. Consequently, PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 was performed, which was positive in the heart specimen. Immunosuppressive treatment was discontinued. During a follow-up visit at the end of April, the patient's recovery was stable.

Discussion

In COVID-19 infections, myocardial inflammation can be present as an extrapulmonary manifestation. Positive PCR testing confirms myocardial invasion of the virus. Imaging and laboratory studies correlate with the histopathological findings, and thus should be performed in COVID-19 patients who are suspicious for myocarditis. Supportive treatment with steroids may be useful in these patients.

[IRM et myocardite infectieuse]

Au cours des dix dernières années, l’IRM cardiaque est devenue un outil incontournable pour le diagnostic de myocardite aiguë. Elle peut, sous certaines conditions, permettre de surseoir à la coronarographie initiale dans de nombreuses situations. Son utilisation est préconisée en classe I, dans la situation du MINOCA, dans les recommandations de l’ESC de septembre 2020, pour permettre d’établir un diagnostic de certitude entre infarctus aigu, myocardite, Tako-Tsubo, ou autres cardiopathies en permettant d’améliorer la prise en charge thérapeutique et le suivi. Cet article reprend les principes techniques de l’IRM dans la myocardite (critères diagnostiques de Lake Louise et critères basés sur la cartographie tissulaire myocardique), les principaux diagnostics différentiels et la valeur pronostique, ainsi que la myocardite associée au COVID-19.