COVID-19 and acute myocarditis: Current literature review and diagnostic challenges


Çınar T., Hayıroğlu M. İ., Çiçek V., Uzun M., ORHAN A. L.

Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira, cilt.66, ss.48-54, 2020 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 66
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1590/1806-9282.66.s2.48
  • Dergi Adı: Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.48-54
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Coronavirus Infections, Betacoronavirus, Myocarditis, Cardiomyopathies
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

INTRODUCTION: In the current literature, there has been an upsurge of cases of COVID-19-induced acute myocarditis. In this case-based review, we aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, imaging findings, and in-hospital course of acute myocarditis. In addition, the limitations of the myocarditis diagnosis were discussed since only fulminant myocarditis cases have been mentioned in the current literature. METHODS: We performed a review of the literature of all patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19-induced acute myocarditis using the databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane. RESULTS: 16 case reports were found to be related to COVID-19-induced acute myocarditis. We observed that the ECG findings in most of the COVID-19 patients were non-specific, including diffuse ST-segment elevation, non-specific intraventricular conduction delay, sinus tachycardia, and inverted T-waves in anterior leads. Echocardiographic findings of COVID-19-induced acute myocarditis patients ranged from preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) without segmental abnormalities to reduced LVEF with global hypokinesia. Interestingly, a few patients with COVID-19-induced acute fulminant myocarditis were steroid-responsive and had an amelioration with glucocorticoid and immunoglobulin therapy. CONCLUSION: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, a limited number of cases has been shared in the current literature. There are a lot of difficulties in the differential diagnosis of acute myocarditis in the context of COVID-19.