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. 2020 Dec 30;5(2):ytaa523.
doi: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytaa523. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Fulminant myocarditis in a COVID-19 positive patient treated with mechanical circulatory support - a case report

Joanna-Maria Papageorgiou  1 , Henrik Almroth  1 , Mattias Törnudd  2 , Henriëtte van der Wal  1 , Georgia Varelogianni  3 , Sofia Sederholm Lawesson  4
Affiliations

Fulminant myocarditis in a COVID-19 positive patient treated with mechanical circulatory support - a case report

Joanna-Maria Papageorgiou et al. Eur Heart J Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreading from Wuhan, Hubei province in China, is an expanding global pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality. Even though respiratory failure is the cardinal form of severe COVID-19, concomitant cardiac involvement is common. Myocarditis is a challenging diagnosis due to heterogeneity of clinical presentation, ranging from mild symptoms to fatal arrhythmia and cardiogenic shock (CS). The aetiology is often viral and endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is the gold standard for definite myocarditis. However, the diagnosis is often made on medical history, clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging, and blood tests.

Case summary: We present a 43-year-old man with mixed connective tissue disease treated with hydroxychloroquine who rapidly developed CS 4 days from symptom onset with fever and cough, showing positive polymerase chain reaction nasopharyngeal swab for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA. While computed tomography of the thorax was normal, high-sensitivity troponin T was elevated and electrocardiogram showed diffuse ST elevation and low voltage as signs of myocardial oedema. Echocardiography showed severe depression of left ventricular function. The myocardium recovered completely after a week with mechanical circulatory support (MCS). EMB was performed but could neither identify the virus in the cardiomyocytes, nor signs of inflammation. Still the most probable aetiology of CS in this case is myocarditis as a sole symptom of COVID-19.

Discussion: COVID-19 patients in need of hospitalization present commonly with respiratory manifestations. We present the first case of fulminant myocarditis rapidly progressing to CS in a COVID-19 patient without respiratory failure, successfully treated with inotropes and MCS.

Keywords: Endomyocardial biopsy; COVID-19; Cardiogenic shock; Case report; Mechanical circulatory support; Myocarditis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Electrocardiogram 2019, normal sinus rhythm, left axis deviation. (B) Electrocardiogram at admission, sinus tachycardia, low voltage and diffuse ST-segment elevation in limb and precordial leads. (C) Electrocardiogram Day 24 at Coronary Care Unit during rehabilitation period.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A and B) Longitudinal strain at admission and after 15 Days.
None
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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