Clinical features, Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings and outcome of patients with suspected myocarditis

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 2454-2456
Author(s):  
Salik Ur Rehman Iqbal ◽  
Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan

Myocarditis is largely underdiagnosed due to subclinical symptoms and non-availability of diagnostic techniques necessitating high index of suspicion and early disease identification. This study aimed to assess the clinical presentation, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging findings and prognosis of these patients. After reviewing the CMR data of Aga Khan University Hospital from January 2011 to December 2019, a total of 24 patients were included with the confirmed diagnosis of myocarditis on CMR. Mean age was 33.4 +15 years with the majority (58%) being male. Dyspnea (n = 15, 62%) was the commonest symptom followed by chest pain (n = 13, 54%). On echocardiogram, 55% showed LV dysfunction. Common CMR findings were late gadolinium enhancement (n=18, 75%) and bright T2 signals (n=11, 45%).  With a mean follow-up of 3.6 + 2.0 years, one patient died of non-cardiac cause. More than half (60%) had resolution of LV dysfunction suggesting favorable prognosis. Continuous...

2020 ◽  
Vol 93 (1115) ◽  
pp. 20200514
Author(s):  
Vineeta Ojha ◽  
Rishabh Khurana ◽  
Kartik P Ganga ◽  
Sanjeev Kumar

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a reversible condition in which there is transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunction characterised most commonly by basal hyperkinesis and mid-apical LV ballooning and hypokinesia. It is said to be triggered by stress and mimics, such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) clinically. Diagnosis is usually suspected on echocardiography due to the characteristic contraction pattern in a patient with symptoms and signs of ACS but normal coronary arteries on catheter angiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), with its latest advancements, is the diagnostic modality of choice for diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up of patients. The advances in CMR (including T1, T2, ECV mapping and threshold-based late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) measurements have revolutionised the role of CMR in tissue characterisation and prognostication in patients with TC. In this review, we highlight the current role of CMR in management of TC and enumerate the CMR findings in TC as well the current advances in the field of CMR, which could help in prognosticating these patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 2652-2655
Author(s):  
Salik ur Rehman Iqbal ◽  
Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare disease with a difficult diagnosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging data of Aga Khan University Hospital, from January 2011 to March 2020 was retrospectively reviewed and patients with the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis were included. A total of 22 patients were included with the mean age of 46 + 16 years and majority (77%, n=17) being male. The most common findings on transthoracic echo were significant respiratory variation in mitral and tricuspid inflow velocities (91%, n=20) and septal annular e’>9 (86%, n=19). Most common finding on CMR was respiratory septal shift in 100% (n=22) followed by septal bounce in 95% (n=21), and thickened pericardium in 82% (n=18). Nearly two-third patients (n=15) were considered for pericardiectomy but it was deferred in 5 patients due to high surgical risk. Ten patients underwent pericardiectomy with no mortality on a mean follow up of 4 + 2 years. Continuous...


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 962-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Ferrero ◽  
Isabelle Piazza

AbstractAims:We aim to assess the diagnostic role of QRS fragmentation in children with suspected acute myocarditis.Background:Diagnosis of myocarditis in the paediatric population is challenging. Clinical suspicion, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests are the main diagnostic features at presentation. However, electrocardiogram in patients with myocarditis is usually considered aspecific. We have previously described QRS fragmentation in adult patients with acute myocarditis.Methods:Patients aged less than 18 years, admitted between 2003 and 2019, and discharged with a diagnosis of acute myocarditis were included. Standard electrocardiogram, laboratory, and echocardiographic findings at admission and follow-up were reviewed. QRS fragmentation was defined by the presence of multiphasic R′ spikes. Cardiac magnetic resonance and biopsy were performed in selected patients.Results:Twenty-one patients were analysed, 16 males (76%), median age 9.5 (2.5–16) years. At presentation, 12 patients (57%) displayed QRS fragmentation. Median ejection fraction was 40% (27–60). Nine patients (43%) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance and displayed late gadolinium enhancement. One patient underwent biopsy that showed borderline findings. Electrocardiogram leads showing QRS fragmentation correlated with distribution of late gadolinium enhancement. Median follow-up was 600 (190–2343) days. All patients were alive at last follow-up. Six patients (33%) patients displayed persistence of QRS fragmentation. Median ejection fraction was 60% (60–65%). In three patients (14%), ejection fraction remained depressed, two of which showed persistence of QRS fragmentation.Conclusion:In this cohort of children with suspected myocarditis, QRS fragmentation was confirmed as a new additional diagnostic finding to look for at admission and during follow-up.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Martinho ◽  
AR Pereira ◽  
A Marques ◽  
I Cruz ◽  
R Cale ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Acute myocarditis (AM) is generally a self-limited and benign disease. However, a minority of patients (pts) present or develop adverse outcomes. It has been proposed that the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in the septum is associated with worse prognosis. Also, the presence of LGE without oedema in follow-up cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) seems to reflect more permanent lesions. Purpose The aim of this study was to determine if the presence of septal LGE in acute-phase CMR was associated with higher extent of disease in follow-up CMR and if initial laboratory tests help to predict the evolution to more permanent lesions. Methods Prospective single-centre study of pts admitted with AM diagnosed according to clinical findings, troponin T elevation and CMR criteria (Lake Louise), since 1/2013. Selection of those who underwent acute-phase (CMR-I) and follow-up CMR (CMR-II). Results Of 88 pts admitted with AM, 46 fulfilled our inclusion criteria: median age 31 ± 13 years, 85% males. CMR-I was performed at 6 ± 5days and LGE was present in 43 pts (93.5%). CMR-II was performed at 8 ± 4.3 months and 29 pts (63%) improved the number of LGE-positive segments, 10 pts (21.8%) had stable disease and 7 pts (15.2%) worsened CMR findings. Septal-LGE was detected in 10 pts (21.7%) in CMR-I and in 6 pts (13.0%) in CMR-II. Logistic regression analysis identified septal-LGE in CMR-I as a predictor of higher extent of LGE in CMR-II (OR 1.4, 95%CI 1.1-1.9, p = 0.020). Although median values of maximum high-sensitivity troponin and reactive-C protein (RCP) were not associated with septal LGE in CMR-I, increasing values of such tests were univariate predictors of a higher likelihood of septal involvement in CMR-II: maximum troponin (886 vs 1852ng/L; OR 1.00, 95%CI 1.00-1.00 p = 0.017) and RCP (4.2 vs 13.9mg/dL; OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.04-1.33, p = 0.012). After multivariate analysis, RCP was the independent predictor of septal LGE in CMR-II (AUC 80.8, 0.97-0.91, p = 0.012). RCP cut-off value >10.2mg/dL identified patients with septal LGE in CMR-II with a sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 85.0%, respectively. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors, clinical presentation and B-type natriuretic peptide values were not predictors of septal LGE in either CMR. In a mean clinical follow-up of 757 ± 476days, no patient died, 3 pts (6.5%) developed new-onset heart failure (NYHA class II functional symptoms) and 2 pts (4.3%) developed ventricular arrhythmias. Due to a small number of adverse events, neither laboratory tests nor LGE septal pattern predicted adverse outcomes. Conclusions In this population, septal LGE pattern was able to predict higher extent of LGE in follow-up CMR. Increased cardiac biomarkers and inflammatory proteins in the acute setting were also associated with septal involvement in follow-up and can potentially help to establish the risk of adverse events for patients admitted with acute myocarditis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Seitz ◽  
S Greulich ◽  
N Ebadi ◽  
S Gruen ◽  
K Klingel ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Myocarditis is a common cardiac disease that is associated with significant mortality as demonstrated by several studies. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a valuable tool for risk stratification of patients with suspected myocarditis. Previous studies using CMR-LGE have reported a good negative predictive value over follow-up periods of 4–6 years, while its positive predictive value was only modest. However, there is a lack of data regarding the long-term prognosis (>10 years) of these patients. This study reports an extended long-term follow-up of a large cohort of patients with biopsy-proven viral myocarditis. Methods At initial presentation, all patients underwent endomyocardial biopsy and CMR for the work-up of suspected myocarditis or unclear cardiomyopathy and had evidence of virus in PCR analyses. The primary endpoints were: all-cause death, cardiac death, and the occurrence of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Results 183 patients with biopsy-proven viral myocarditis were followed for a median of 11.5 years. At baseline, patients were 52 years old, 31% were females, and the median ejection fraction was moderately reduced (44%). Initial CMR assessment revealed LGE in 101 (55%) patients, while 82 (45%) patients had LGE-negative CMR. During the follow-up period, the following endpoints occurred in the overall cohort: all-cause death (n=71, 39%), cardiac death (n=50, 27%) and SCD (n=20, 11%). Most importantly, only a single LGE-negative patient experienced a SCD during this 12-year follow-up, while all other SCDs occurred in patients with LGE-positive CMR (1% vs. 19%, p<0.001). Consequently, the negative predictive value (NPV) of normal CMR-LGE regarding SCD was 98%. In addition, cardiac mortality (12% vs. 40%, p<0.001, NPV=88%) and all-cause mortality (20% vs. 54%, p<0.001, NPV=79%) were significantly lower in patients without LGE. Conclusion This cohort of biopsy-proven viral myocarditis demonstrates substantial mortality (39% in 11.5 years). However, absence of LGE on CMR was associated with favorable prognosis. This was applicable regarding all-cause and cardiac mortality, but most importantly with regard to SCD with a NPV of 98% over almost 12 years median follow-up. Acknowledgement/Funding This work was funded by the Robert-Bosch-Stiftung, Stuttgart, Germany and the Berthold-Leibinger-Stiftung, Ditzingen, Germany.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 699.1-699
Author(s):  
A. Gil-Vila ◽  
G. Burcet ◽  
A. Anton-Vicente ◽  
D. Gonzalez-Sans ◽  
A. Nuñez-Conde ◽  
...  

Background:Antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) is characterized by inflammatory myopathy, interstitial lung disease, arthritis, mechanical hands and Raynaud phenomenon, among other features. Recent studies have shown that idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) may develop cardiac involvement, either ischemic (coronary artery disease) or inflammatory (myocarditis). We wonder if characteristic lung interstitial involvement (interstitial lung disease) that appears in patients with the ASS may also affect the myocardial interstitial tissue. New magnetic resonance mapping techniques could detect subclinical myocardial involvement, mainly as edema (increase extracellular volume in interstitium and extracellular matrix), even in the absence of visible late Gadolinium enhancement (LGE).Objectives:Our aim was to describe the presence of interstitial myocarditis in a group of patients with ASS.Methods:Cross-sectional, observational study performed in a tertiary care center. We included 13 patients diagnosed with ASS (7 male, 53%, mean (SD) age at diagnosis 56,8 years (±11,8)). The patients were consecutively selected from our outpatient myositis clinic. Myositis specific and associated antibodies were performed by means of line immunoblot (EUROIMMUN©). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed on all patients. The study protocol includes functional cine magnetic resonance and standard late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), as well as novel parametric T1 and T2 mapping sequences (modified look locker inversion recovery sequences - MOLLI) with extracellular volume (ECV) calculation 20 minutes after the injection of a gadolinium-based contrast material.Results:CMR could not be performed in one patient due to anxiety. All patients studied (12) had a normal biventricular function, without alteration of segmental contraction. A third (4 out of 12, 33%) of the studied patients showed elevated T2 myocardial values without focal LGE, half of them (2/4) with an elevated ECV, consistent with myocardial edema. Two patients with normal T2 values showed unspecific LGE focal patterns, one in the right ventricle union points and another with mild interventricular septum enhancement (Figure 1). None of the patients studied refer any cardiac symptomatology. All the four patients with T2 mapping alterations (100%) had interstitial lung involvement, but only 4 out of 8 (50%) of the rest ASS patients without T2 mapping positivity. The autoimmune profile was as follows: 10 anti-Jo1/Ro52, 1 anti-EJ/Ro52, 2 anti-PL12.Conclusion:Myocarditis, although subclinical, appears to be a feature in ASS patients. T1 and T2 mapping sequences might be valuable to detect and monitor subclinical cardiac involvement in these patients. The possibility that the same etiopathogenic mechanism may be involved in the interstitial tissue in lung and myocardium is raised. More studies must be done in order to assert the prevalence of myocarditis in ASS.References:[1]Dieval C et al. Myocarditis in Patients With Antisynthetase Syndrome: Prevalence, Presentation, and Outcomes. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Jul;94(26):e798.[2]Myhr KA, Pecini R. Management of Myocarditis in Myositis: Diagnosis and Treatment. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2020 Jul 22; 22:49.[3]Sharma K, Orbai AM, Desai D, Cingolani OH, Halushka MK, Christopher-Stine L, Mammen AL, Wu KC, Zakaria S. Brief report: antisynthetase syndrome-associated myocarditis. J Card Fail. 2014 Dec;20(12):939-45.Figure 1.Cardiac magnetic resonance images from ASS patients.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
EC D"angelo ◽  
P Paolisso ◽  
L Bergamaschi ◽  
A Foa ◽  
I Magnani ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public hospital(s). Main funding source(s): S. Orsola Hospital Background  Differential diagnosis of cardiac masses represents a challenging issue with important implications for therapeutic management and patient’s prognosis. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is a non-invasive imaging technique used to characterize morphologic and functional features of masses. Integration of these information can lead an accurate diagnosis. Purpose  To evaluate the diagnostic role of CMR in defining the nature of cardiac masses. Methods : Ninety-three patients with cardiac masses evaluated with CMR were enrolled. All masses had histological certainty. CMR sequences allowed a qualitative morphologic description as well as tissue characterization. Evaluation of masses morphology included localization, size and borders assessment, detection of potential multiple lesions and pericardial effusion. Tissue characterization resulted from an estimation of contrast enhancement - early gadolinium enhancement (EGE) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequences - and tissue homogeneity in T1 and T2 weighted acquisitions. The descriptive analysis was carried out by comparing benign vs malignant lesions as well as dividing patients into 4 subgroups: primitive benign tumours, primitive malignant tumours, metastatic tumours and pseudotumours.  Results  The descriptive analysis of the morphologic features showed that diameter &gt; 50mm, invasion of surrounding planes, irregular margins and presence of pericardial effusion were able to predict malignancy (p &lt; 0.001). As for tissue characteristics, heterogeneous signal intensity - independently from T1 and T2 weighted acquisitions - and EGE were more common in malignant lesions (p &lt;0.001). When analysing the four subgroups, CMR features did not discriminate between primitive malignant masses and metastasis. Conversely, hyperintensity signal and EGE were able to distinguish benign primitive lesions from pseudotumors (p = 0.002).  Furthermore, using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis, we developed an algorithm to differentiate masses: invasion of surrounding planes was a common characteristic of malignancy and identifies itself malignant tumors. In the absence of invasive features, gadolinium enhancement was evaluated: the lack of contrast uptake was able to exclude a pseudotumor diagnosis and reduced the probability of a primary benign tumor.  Conclusions Cardiac magnetic resonance is a very powerful diagnostic tool for differential diagnosis of cardiac masses as it correctly addresses malignancy. Furthermore, an accurate evaluation of the several CMR features, may discriminate primary benign masses and pseudotumours. Abstract Figure. Benign and malignant cardiac masses


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