Fulminant myocarditis

Mortality for cardiogenic shock is still high despite optimal pharmacological therapy. Therefore, active mechanical circulatory support devices are increasingly used; venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) enables full circulatory and respiratory support. However, recent data show that in patients with infarct-related shock unselected early use of VA-ECMO does not improve survival and is associated with major bleeding and peripheral ischemic complications. Nowadays, waiting for the results of definitive randomized controlled trials, the main indication for ECMO utilization is in selected patients with cardiac arrest, in those with shock for advanced heart failure refractory to conventional therapy, in those with fulminant myocarditis, in patients candidate for heart transplant or ventricular assistance, especially in presence of respiratory insufficiency and severe biventricular dysfunction...

The case involves a 39-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who presented with cardiogenic shock in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinical presentation and diagnostic findings prompted consideration of two main diagnoses: fulminant myocarditis and scleroderma cardiac crisis. The discussion explores the diagnostic possibilities that may contribute to the development of acute ventricular dysfunction in patients with SSc, emphasizing histopathological and imaging findings, as well as treatment response...

AIMS: To detect the acute myocardial injury in fulminant myocarditis (FM) survivors after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and to demonstrate its significant differences from non-FM patients by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 59 patients with acute myocarditis (AM), including 35 non-FM patients, 24 FM patients, and 54 controls. The peak value of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was recorded. Tissue parameters, including native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), late gadolinium-enhancement (LGE)%, and T2 by CMR were assessed...

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle, most commonly caused by viral infections, with other contributing factors including medications or systemic inflammatory conditions. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus). In this report, we present a case of fulminant myocarditis in a patient with COVID-19 infection. Fulminant myocarditis is an aggressively progressive and severe variant that can result in substantial cardiac impairment...

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. The most common cause of myocarditis is viral infections. clinical presentation of acute myocarditis is highly variable and varies from asymptomatic to fulminant heart failure or sudden death. Fulminant myocarditis is a severe form of myocarditis characterized by heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiogenic shock, and sudden cardiac arrest. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are essential for improved survival. We present a case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with viral symptoms for two days and then died suddenly...

BACKGROUND: There is little literature on the use of temporary pacemakers in children with fulminant myocarditis. Therefore, we summarized the use of temporary cardiac pacemakers in children with fulminant myocarditis in our hospital. METHODS: The clinical data of children with fulminant myocarditis treated with temporary pacemakers in Wuhan Children's Hospital from January 2017 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 6 children were enrolled in the study, including 4 boys and 2 girls, with a median age of 50 months and a median weight of 15 kg...

Findings of eosinophilic and lymphomonocytic inflammatory infiltrates in endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) may help in myocardial disease diagnosis identification. Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM), a rare condition, is fatal if left untreated and has rarely been described in heart transplant recipients. An extensive work up is necessary to achieve an early etiological diagnosis; however, the underlying cause remains unexplained in nearly one-third of the patients. The cornerstone of treatment is corticosteroids, comprehensive therapy and heart failure management (including advanced mechanical support for fulminant myocarditis)...

BACKGROUND: Intravenous administration of azithromycin has been linked to severe hypotension in some case reports in the past. We report a further case of profound shock requiring excessive use of vasopressors and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). CASE SUMMARY: An 18-year-old Caucasian male was admitted due to fulminant myocarditis and signs of cardiogenic shock. He had to be put on venoarterial ECMO only hours after admission. Due to the occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, haemodynamic support was discontinued on Day 8...

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is a well-recognized pathogen primarily associated with respiratory tract infections. However, in rare instances, it can lead to extrapulmonary manifestations, including myocarditis. We present a case of a 15-year-old male who developed fulminant myocarditis, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac electrical storm attributed to M. pneumoniae infection. He underwent a combination of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) for cardiac support, ultimately surviving despite the intracardiac thrombus formation and embolic stroke...

Background Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of myocarditis in children can be highly challenging, and results can vary greatly. Research on the precise processes of myocardial injury, including the effects of viral infections and newly identified variables like COVID-19, is still underway. Though treatment approaches, such as immunosuppressive therapy, are still debatable, diagnostic methods such as cardiac MRI and biomarkers show promise in improving diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this study is to describe the spectrum of pediatric acute myocarditis, assess existing therapy approaches, and develop regional guidelines based on the experience of a tertiary care institution...

In 1900, Fiedler first reported autopsy cases with peculiar inflammation of the myocardium, which he named interstitial myocarditis. He postulated an isolated cardiac inflammation of the myocardium in the absence of multiorgan involvement and with a poor prognosis due to invisible microorganisms, which years later would have been identified as viruses. The revision of original histologic sections by Schmorl showed cases with lymphocytes and others with giant-cell inflammatory histotypes. The in vivo diagnosis of myocarditis became possible thanks to right cardiac catheterization with endomyocardial biopsy (EMB)...

A 29-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital with a fever, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest. Laboratory data indicated multiple organ failure in addition to hemoconcentration, hypoalbuminemia, and myocardial damage. The coronary angiography findings were normal, and fulminant myocarditis was suspected. Venoarterial peripheral extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and an Impella CP left ventricular assist device were initiated, along with the administration of positive inotropic agents. However, hypovolemic shock and hypoalbuminemia progressed along with severe anemia, and the patient died 18 hours after admission...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has led to a global health crisis with substantial mortality and morbidity. To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, various vaccines have been developed, but unexpected serious adverse events including vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, carditis, and thromboembolic events have been reported and became a huddle for COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine-related myocarditis (VRM) is a rare but significant adverse event associated primarily with mRNA vaccines...

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become a new hope for many patients with advanced cancer by blocking tumor immune escape. Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor of the urinary tract epithelium that often relapses and metastasizes after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Immunotherapy has dramatically improved patient survival rates and clinical benefits as a new, potentially effective therapy. However, avoidance of various immune-related adverse events (irAEs) remains an implausible idea. ICI-induced myocarditis is different from viral myocarditis, and mortality is still high with the current treatment...

Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of sustained eosinophilia that is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration into myocardial tissue. There are various etiologies of EM that can be classified into general categories: reactive, clonal, and idiopathic. We present a case of EM caused by chronic eosinophilic leukemia, a rare myeloproliferative neoplasm that frequently presents with sustained peripheral eosinophilia. This case displays several serious complications of EM, including recurrent ventricular tachycardia storm, cardiogenic shock, and mural thrombus formation despite anticoagulation...

We herein describe a 49-year-old man with severe heart failure due to fulminant myocarditis who underwent left ventricular assist device implantation and received clopidogrel and warfarin as antithrombotic agents. The patient developed anemia secondary to chronic bleeding gastric hyperplastic polyps, necessitating endoscopic mucosal resection. Despite attempts to manage post-endoscopic mucosal resection bleeding from a gastric ulcer by endoscopic hemostasis using hemostatic forceps, local hemostatic agents, and polyglycolic acid sheets, the bleeding persisted...

BACKGROUND: We report a case of a 72-year-old patient developing a significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) 6 years after a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The aim of this case is to demonstrate the feasibility of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) of the tricuspid valve and the excellent clinical benefit in long-term follow-up in an LVAD patient. CASE SUMMARY: Our patient presented with recurrent acute heart failure syndrome. After a fulminant myocarditis in 2005, his previous treatment consisted of cardiac resynchronization therapy, TEER of the mitral valve, and LVAD (HeartMate III) implantation...

We present an exceptional case of a 53-year-old female, initially misdiagnosed with fulminant myocarditis, but later correctly diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. The presentation of the patient included a spectrum of symptoms such as headache, chest discomfort, palpitations, and dyspnea, following the intake of Domperidone. Two weeks prior to admission, the patient had experienced episodes of diarrhea and a low-grade fever. Unresolved symptoms and an unmanageable surge in blood pressure despite comprehensive fulminant myocarditis treatment prompted further investigation...

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) decompression is an essential strategy for improving early survival in patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Low pump flow in patients on extracorporeal life support (ECLS) with LV apex decompression is a life-threatening issue. However, identifying the underlying causes of low flow can be challenging. CASE PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old woman with COVID-19-related fulminant myocarditis was treated with central ECLS with LV apex decompression...

Background: Fulminant myocarditis (FM) constitutes a severe and life-threatening form of acute cardiac injury associated with cardiogenic shock. The condition is characterised by rapidly progressing myocardial inflammation, leading to significant impairment of cardiac function. Due to the acute and severe nature of the disease, affected patients require urgent medical attention to mitigate adverse outcomes. Besides symptom-oriented treatment in specialised intensive care units (ICUs), the necessity for temporary mechanical cardiac support (MCS) may arise...