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Review
. 2019 Jan 10;12(1):bcr-2018-228054.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2018-228054.

Myocardial calcification secondary to toxic shock syndrome: a comparative review of 17 cases

Talha Ahmed  1 , Faisal Inayat  2 , Muhammad Haq  1 , Taha Ahmed  3
Affiliations
Review

Myocardial calcification secondary to toxic shock syndrome: a comparative review of 17 cases

Talha Ahmed et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

Myocardial calcification is a rare and life-threatening condition. It has been associated with a myriad of causes, including ischaemic heart disease, cardiac surgery, rheumatic fever, and myocarditis. However, this entity is less well recognised in the setting of toxic shock syndrome. Published medical literature is scarce with regard to the pathogenesis and clinical implications of this potential association. We chronicle here the case of a patient with myocardial calcification secondary to toxic shock syndrome from our clinical experience. Furthermore, a systematic literature search of the medical databases PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted. A total of 17 cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The data on patients' characteristics, epidemiology, clinical features, comorbid conditions, diagnosis, clinical course and outcome were collected and analysed. The present review outlines our current understanding of the epidemiology of and risk factors for sepsis-related myocardial calcification, the pathophysiology of this condition and currently available approaches to diagnosis.

Keywords: adult intensive care; cardiovascular medicine; healthcare improvement and patient safety; resuscitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CT scan of the chest on day 19 of admission showing calcification of the left ventricle.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chest CT on day 1 of admission demonstrating the normal appearance of the myocardium.
Figure 3
Figure 3
CT scan of the chest on day 28 of admission showing persistent calcification of the left ventricle.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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MeSH terms