ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Symptoms of underlying cardiac disease in pregnancy can often be mistaken for common complaints because of normal physiological changes in pregnancy. Echocardiographic evaluation of patients with symptoms of palpitations and dyspnea can detect structural changes and identify high-risk features. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine transthoracic echocardiograms of perinatal individuals completed for palpitations or dyspnea to determine the frequency of identifying structural changes. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of all perinatal individuals with a transthoracic echocardiogram at a single academic center between October 1, 2017, and May 1, 2022. The indication for the echocardiogram, demographics, and clinical characteristics were recorded. Transthoracic echocardiograms with any abnormal findings noted in the transthoracic echocardiogram report were reviewed and categorized into findings of congenital heart disease, valvular disease, pericardial effusion, evidence of ischemia or wall motion abnormalities, abnormal diastolic or systolic function, and other. RESULTS: Of 539 transthoracic echocardiograms completed on 478 individuals who were pregnant or in the 12-week postpartum period, 96 (17.8%) had an indication of palpitations, and 32 (5.9%) had an indication of dyspnea. Abnormal findings were seen in 21.9% of patients with palpitations and in 34.4% of patients with dyspnea. In patients with palpitations who had abnormal findings, 33.3% had congenital heart disease; 33.3% had mild valvular disease, including mitral valve prolapse; 19.0% had a pericardial effusion; and 14.3% had evidence of ischemia or wall motion defects. Abnormal transthoracic echocardiogram findings in the dyspnea cohort included ischemia or wall motion defects (27.3%), mild valvular disease or mitral valve prolapse (36.4%), and abnormal systolic or diastolic function (36.4%). CONCLUSION: Many of the transthoracic echocardiograms completed for patients with dyspnea or palpitations identified no structural abnormality; however, in 1 of 3 to 1 of 4 patients, underlying structural heart disease was identified. Although some of these abnormalities were unlikely to change delivery plans, such as mild valvular disease or small effusions, other abnormalities, such as ischemia, congenital abnormalities, and abnormal systolic or diastolic function, were likely to have implications for pregnancy and postpartum management.
Subject(s)
Dyspnea , Echocardiography , Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular , Humans , Female , Pregnancy , Dyspnea/diagnosis , Dyspnea/physiopathology , Dyspnea/etiology , Dyspnea/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Adult , Echocardiography/methods , Echocardiography/statistics & numerical data , Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/physiopathology , Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/diagnosis , Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/epidemiology , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/epidemiology , Arrhythmias, Cardiac/diagnosis , Arrhythmias, Cardiac/physiopathology , Arrhythmias, Cardiac/epidemiology , Heart Defects, Congenital/physiopathology , Heart Defects, Congenital/diagnosis , Heart Defects, Congenital/complications , Heart Defects, Congenital/epidemiology , Heart Valve Diseases/diagnosis , Heart Valve Diseases/physiopathology , Heart Valve Diseases/epidemiology , Heart Valve Diseases/complications , Heart Diseases/diagnosis , Heart Diseases/physiopathology , Heart Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Studies have proposed that malaria may lead to electrocardiographic (ECG) changes and pericardial inflammation. We aimed to investigate the frequency of ECG alterations, determined by ECG and Holter monitoring, and pericardial effusion in patients with malaria infection. We performed a prospective observational study of adult patients with uncomplicated malaria in Amazonas, Brazil. Peripheral blood smears, ECG, and bedside echocardiography were conducted before antimalarial treatment and repeated at follow-up after completed treatment. We evaluated the diagnostic value of PR-segment depression, PR-segment elevation, and Spodick's sign for detecting pericardial effusion. A subset of patients underwent Holter monitoring at baseline. Among 98 cases of uncomplicated malaria (55% men; mean age 40 years; median parasite density 1,774/µl), 75 had Plasmodium vivax, 22 Plasmodium falciparum, and 1 had mixed infection. At baseline, 17% (n = 17) had PR-segment depression, 12% (n = 12) PR-segment elevation, 3% (n = 2) Spodick's sign, and the prevalence of pericardial effusion was 9% (n = 9). ECG alterations had sensitivities of 22% to 89% and specificities of 88% to 100% for detecting pericardial effusion at baseline. PR-segment depression had the best accuracy (sensitivity 89%, specificity 90%). Of the 25 patients, 4 patients who did not have pericardial effusion, displayed nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, determined by Holter monitoring (median duration 43 hours). Follow-up examination data were obtained for 71 patients (median 31 days), for whom PR-segment depression, elevation, and pericardial effusion had reduced significantly (p <0.05). In conclusion, our findings suggest that ECG alterations may be useful to detect pericardial effusion in malaria and that these findings decrease after completed antimalarial treatment.
Subject(s)
Electrocardiography , Malaria/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/epidemiology , Tachycardia, Ventricular/epidemiology , Adult , Antimalarials/therapeutic use , Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination/therapeutic use , Brazil/epidemiology , Case-Control Studies , Chloroquine/therapeutic use , Electrocardiography, Ambulatory , Female , Humans , Malaria/complications , Malaria/drug therapy , Malaria, Falciparum/complications , Malaria, Falciparum/drug therapy , Malaria, Falciparum/physiopathology , Malaria, Vivax/complications , Malaria, Vivax/drug therapy , Malaria, Vivax/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Primaquine/therapeutic use , Prospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , Tachycardia, Ventricular/etiology , Tachycardia, Ventricular/physiopathologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Post-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is an inflammatory condition following myocardial or pericardial damage. In response to catheter ablation, PCIS most frequently occurs after extensive radiofrequency (RF) ablation of large areas of atrial myocardium. Minor myocardial injury from right septal slow pathway ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is not an established cause of the syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old women with a 6-year history of symptomatic narrow-complex tachycardia was referred to perform an electrophysiological study. During the procedure AVNRT was recorded and a total of two RF burns were applied to the region between the coronary sinus and the tricuspid annulus. Pericardial effusion was routinely ruled out by focused cardiac ultrasound. In the following days, the patient developed fever, elevated inflammatory and cardiac markers, new-onset pericardial effusion, characteristic ECG changes, and complained of pleuritic chest pain. An extensive workup for infectious, metabolic, rheumatologic, neoplastic, and toxic causes of pericarditis and myocarditis was unremarkable. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs of ischemia, infiltrative disease or structural abnormalities. The patient was diagnosed with PCIS and initiated on aspirin and low-dose colchicine. At a 1-month follow-up visit the patient was free of symptoms but still had a small pericardial effusion. After three months of treatment the pericardial effusion had resolved completely. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory pericardial reactions can occur after minor myocardial damage from RF ablation without involvement of structures in close proximity to the pericardium.
Subject(s)
Catheter Ablation/adverse effects , Heart Injuries/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry/surgery , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Aspirin/therapeutic use , Colchicine/therapeutic use , Female , Heart Injuries/diagnosis , Heart Injuries/drug therapy , Heart Injuries/physiopathology , Humans , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/drug therapy , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericarditis/diagnosis , Pericarditis/drug therapy , Pericarditis/etiology , Pericarditis/physiopathology , Syndrome , Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry/diagnosis , Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry/physiopathology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Pericarditis with pericardial effusion in SARS CoV-2 infection is a well-known entity in adults. In children and adolescents, only a few cases have been reported. Here, we present here a case of a 15-year-old girl affected by Sotos syndrome with pre-tamponed pericardial effusion occurred during SARS-CoV-2 infection. A possible relation between SARS-CoV-2 pericarditis and genetic syndromes, as a major risk factor for the development of severe inflammation, has been speculated. We emphasize the importance of active surveillance by echocardiograms when SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs in combination with a genetic condition.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/metabolism , Cardiac Tamponade/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Adolescent , Cardiac Tamponade/complications , Cardiac Tamponade/virology , Echocardiography/adverse effects , Female , Humans , Pericarditis/complications , Pericarditis/diagnosis , Risk Factors , SARS-CoV-2/metabolism , SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity , Sotos Syndrome/complications , Sotos Syndrome/virologyABSTRACT
Acute pericarditis is an inflammatory disease associated with a non-negligible risk of acute complications and future recurrence. However, the exact incidence of pericarditis recurrence in patients with a first uncomplicated clinical course is unknown. We sought to evaluate the incidence and clinical predictors of recurrence after a first episode of acute uncomplicated pericarditis in a large urban hospital in the United States. We conducted a retrospective review, through electronic health records, to complete a database that includes patients admitted with a first episode of acute pericarditis and selected only those with an uncomplicated course (without in-hospital death, large pericardial effusion [>20 mm] or tamponade, constriction, or incessant pericarditis) at the VCU Medical Center (Richmond, Virginia) from 2009 to 2018. A total of 240 patients met acute pericarditis criteria: of the 240 patients, 164 patients (68%) had an uncomplicated course (median age [interquartile range] in years: 50 [32 to 62], 43% females). The median follow-up time was 186 (19 to 467) days. Pericarditis was idiopathic in 84 patients (51%). Fifteen patients (9%) had at least 1 episode of recurrent pericarditis. Compared with those without recurrence, patients with recurrent pericarditis were younger (37 [25 to 59] vs 51 [34 to 62] years, p = 0.034), had a higher prevalence of subacute/delayed presentation (2 [13%] vs 1 [1%], p = 0.023), and less frequently received colchicine (6 [40%] vs 100 [67%], p = 0.036). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, subacute presentation and younger age remained predictors of recurrence at follow-up. In conclusion, 9% of patients with acute pericarditis experienced a recurrence over a 6-month median follow-up despite an initial uncomplicated course. Younger age and subacute presentation were associated with a significantly increased risk of recurrence.
Subject(s)
Pericarditis/epidemiology , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Acute Disease , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use , Adult , Age Factors , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Colchicine/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericarditis/physiopathology , Pericarditis/therapy , Postoperative Complications/physiopathology , Postoperative Complications/therapy , Recurrence , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Tubulin Modulators/therapeutic useABSTRACT
CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old man presented to the ED with sudden onset of left thigh pain followed by transient chest discomfort. His history included cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, and cocaine and methamphetamine use. Physical examination revealed an uncomfortable male subject with a temperature of 37 °C, heart rate of 129 beats/min, BP of 130/65 mm Hg, and 98% oxygen saturation on room air. There was point tenderness in the left lateral thigh without erythema, swelling, or overlying skin changes. His cardiac examination revealed an irregular tachycardia at 129 beats/min and normal first and second heart sounds without murmurs, gallops, or rubs. The remainder of the examination was unremarkable.
Subject(s)
Pericardial Effusion , Pericarditis , Streptococcal Infections , Streptococcus pyogenes/isolation & purification , Aged , Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Bacterial Agents/classification , Autopsy , Chest Pain/diagnosis , Chest Pain/etiology , Clinical Deterioration , Diagnosis, Differential , Echocardiography/methods , Electrocardiography/methods , Fatal Outcome , Humans , Male , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericarditis/diagnosis , Pericarditis/microbiology , Pericarditis/physiopathology , Pericarditis/therapy , Streptococcal Infections/blood , Streptococcal Infections/physiopathology , Streptococcal Infections/therapy , Suppuration , Thigh/pathology , Thigh/physiopathology , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The relationship between the presence of pleural and pericardial effusion in reference to hemodynamic parameters remains unclear in ambulatory patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent right catheterization (RHC) for the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension were enrolled. Point-of- care ultrasound was performed prior to the RHC to determine the presence of pleural effusion and pericardial effusion. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the association between presence of pericardial and pleural effusion with pulmonary hemodynamic variables. RESULTS: Twenty-five (78.1%) of 32 patients had evidence of PH by RHC. Mean pulmonary artery pressure of the population was 40.6â¯mmHg, and 68% (17/25) had WHO group I PH. Six (24.0%) of 25 PH patients had pleural effusions identified, of which 4 out of 6 (66.7%) had a pulmonary artery wedge pressure >15â¯mmHg. Eleven (44.0%) of the 25 PH patients were also found to have pericardial effusions, and most of those patients 10/11(90.9%) had an elevated right atrial pressure >10â¯mmHg. The presence of a pleural effusion was associated with a pulmonary artery wedge pressure >15â¯mmHg (pâ¯=â¯0.032) and the presence of a pericardial effusion was associated with a right atrial pressure >10â¯mmHg (pâ¯=â¯0.004). Detection of pleural effusion had a poor positive predictive value (67%) for the presence of pulmonary venous hypertension, whereas presence of a pericardial effusion was highly predictive (89%) of the presence of systemic venous hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic venous hypertension was associated with the presence of pericardial effusions, while pulmonary venous hypertension is associated with pleural effusion development in ambulatory patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Subject(s)
Hemodynamics/physiology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/diagnostic imaging , Pericardial Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Pleural Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography, Interventional/methods , Adult , Aged , Cardiac Catheterization/methods , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Hypertension, Pulmonary/epidemiology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/epidemiology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pleural Effusion/epidemiology , Pleural Effusion/physiopathology , Point-of-Care TestingABSTRACT
Uremic pericarditis and pericardial effusion are possible complications among patients with end-stage renal disease. The accumulation of toxic metabolites may contribute to the pathogenesis of uremic pericarditis. Bleeding diathesis in peritoneal dialysis patients raises the risk of hemorrhagic pericardial tamponade, which is a fatal complication of peritoneal dialysis. We report a case of hemorrhagic pericardial tamponade who was nonadherent to peritoneal dialysis with initial presentation of hypotension and syncope. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed septated, fibrinoid pericardial effusion and right ventricular diastolic compression. A massive bloody pericardial effusion was drained when he underwent the pericardial window procedure. There was a significant improvement both in his clinical condition and in the echocardiogram images after the procedure. Hemorrhagic pericardial tamponade occurs in uremic patients but is rarely seen in those undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Early diagnosis, immediate surgical drainage, and regular follow-up with echocardiography are crucial to achieve better prognoses in future similar clinical scenarios.
Subject(s)
Cardiac Tamponade , Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy , Pericardial Effusion , Peritoneal Dialysis , Cardiac Tamponade/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
To assess imaging data in COVID-19 patients and its association with clinical course and survival and 86 consecutive patients (52 males, 34 females, mean age = 58.8 year) with documented COVID-19 infection were included. Seventy-eight patients (91%) were in severe stage of the disease. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography. Mean LVEF was 48.1% and mean estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was 27.9 mmHg. LV diastolic dysfunction was mildly abnormal in 49 patients (57.6%) and moderately abnormal in 7 cases (8.2%). Pericardial effusion was present in 5/86 (minimal in size in 3 cases and mild- moderate in 2). In 32/86 cases (37.2%), the severity of infection progressed from "severe" to "critical". Eleven patients (12.8%) died. sPAP and computed tomography score were associated with disease progression (P value = 0.002, 0.002 respectively). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was significantly higher in patients with no disease progression compared with those who deteriorated (P value = 0.005). Pericardial effusion (minimal, mild or moderate) was detected more often in progressive disease (P = 0.03). sPAP was significantly lower among survivors (P value = 0.007). Echocardiographic findings (including systolic PAP, TAPSE and pericardial effusion), total CT score may have prognostic and therapeutic implication in COVID-19 patients.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/physiopathology , Echocardiography , Pericardial Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/diagnostic imaging , Blood Pressure/physiology , COVID-19/mortality , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Severity of Illness Index , Stroke Volume/physiology , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Despite the monumental advances in the diagnoses and therapeutics of malignancy, several cancer patients have presented with pericardial involvement, including acute pericarditis, constrictive pericarditis, and pericardial effusion. Multiple factors can contribute to acute pericarditis, including direct metastasis to the heart, pericardial hemorrhage, infections due to immunosuppression, and cancer therapies that include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. Pericardial effusion, either due to cancer invasion or cancer treatment, is one of the most common incidental findings in cancer patients, which significantly worsens morbidity and mortality. If left untreated, pericardial effusion is known to cause complications such as pericardial tamponade. Constrictive pericarditis can be due to radiation exposure, chemotherapy, or is a sequela of a previous episode of acute pericarditis. In conclusion, early detection, prompt treatment, and understanding of pericardial diseases are necessary to help improve the quality of life of cancer patients, and we aim to summarize the knowledge of pericardial involvement in patients with cancer.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Hemorrhage/physiopathology , Neoplasms/therapy , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericarditis, Constrictive/physiopathology , Radiation Injuries/physiopathology , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Hemorrhage/diagnosis , Hemorrhage/etiology , Hemorrhage/therapy , Humans , Immunocompromised Host , Infections/etiology , Infections/immunology , Infections/physiopathology , Neoplasm Metastasis , Neoplasms/complications , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/therapy , Pericarditis/diagnosis , Pericarditis/etiology , Pericarditis/physiopathology , Pericarditis/therapy , Pericarditis, Constrictive/diagnosis , Pericarditis, Constrictive/etiology , Pericarditis, Constrictive/therapy , Pericardium , Radiation Injuries/diagnosis , Radiation Injuries/etiology , Radiation Injuries/therapyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To better define the clinical distinctions between the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) and Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: We compared three groups of patients: group 1, cases from our national historic KD database (KD-HIS), before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; group 2, patients with KD admitted to an intensive care unit (KD-ICU) from both our original cohort and the literature, before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; and group 3, patients with PIMS from the literature. RESULTS: KD-HIS included 425 patients [male:female ratio 1.3, mean age 2.8 years (s.d. 2.4)], KD-ICU 176 patients [male:female ratio 1.3, mean age 3.5 years (s.d. 3.1)] and PIMS 404 patients [male:female ratio 1.4, mean age 8.8 years (s.d. 3.7)]. As compared with KD-HIS patients, KD-ICU and PIMS patients had a higher proportion of cardiac failure, digestive and neurological signs. KD-ICU and PIMS patients also had a lower frequency of typical KD-mucocutaneous signs, lower platelet count, higher CRP and lower sodium level. As compared with KD-HIS and KD-ICU patients, PIMS patients were older and more frequently had myocarditis; they also had fewer coronary abnormalities and lower sodium levels. Unresponsiveness to IVIG was more frequent in KD-ICU than KD-HIS and PIMS patients. CONCLUSION: On clinical grounds, KD-HIS, KD-ICU and PIMS might belong to a common spectrum of non-specific pathogen-triggered hyperinflammatory states. The causes of increasing inflammation severity within the three entities and the different effects on the heart remain to be determined.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/physiopathology , Coronary Disease/physiopathology , Heart Failure/physiopathology , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/physiopathology , Myocarditis/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/physiopathology , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/physiopathology , Ventricular Dysfunction, Right/physiopathology , Adolescent , Aspirin/therapeutic use , C-Reactive Protein/metabolism , COVID-19/blood , COVID-19/therapy , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Digestive System Diseases/physiopathology , Female , France , Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use , Humans , Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use , Immunologic Factors/therapeutic use , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Male , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/blood , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/therapy , Myocarditis/blood , Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology , Phenotype , Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Platelet Count , Sodium/blood , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/blood , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/therapyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acute pericarditis has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations largely depending on underlying aetiologies. We assessed the role of age and sex in the clinical features and outcome of acute pericarditis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 240 consecutive patients hospitalized with a first episode of acute pericarditis were included. At baseline demographics, clinical features, laboratory and imaging findings and medical therapy were recorded. Patients were followed up for at least 18 months for complications. Data comparisons were performed according to sex and age (≤60 or >60 years). RESULTS: The male/female ratio was 1.42, and 56% of patients were >60 years. Younger patients depicted more often chest pain (P = .001), fever and rubs (P < .001 for both), ST elevation and PR depression (P = .032 and .009, respectively), higher CRP values (P = .009) and less often dyspnoea (P = .046) and pericardial effusion (P = .036). Moreover, they received less often glucocorticoids (P < .001) and depicted less atrial fibrillation (P = .003) and a higher rate of recurrent pericarditis (P = .013). After multivariate adjustment for confounders, age >60 years remained an independent predictor for a lower risk of recurrent pericarditis (hazard ratio 0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.96, P = .033). Regarding sex, females were older (P = .007), showed less often ST elevation and PR depression (P < .001 and .002, respectively) and had a higher baseline heart rate (P = .02). Sex was not associated with recurrent pericarditis risk. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acute pericarditis have distinct presenting clinical, biochemical and prognostic features according to age and sex. Awareness of such differences is important for clinical decision-making.
Subject(s)
Chest Pain/physiopathology , Dyspnea/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericarditis/physiopathology , Acute Disease , Adult , Age Distribution , Age Factors , Aged , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Aspirin/therapeutic use , Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology , Colchicine/therapeutic use , Electrocardiography , Female , Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use , Humans , Ibuprofen/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardiocentesis , Pericarditis/epidemiology , Pericarditis/therapy , Recurrence , Sex Distribution , Sex FactorsSubject(s)
Glucocorticoids/administration & dosage , Immunoglobulin A/blood , Microscopy, Fluorescence/methods , Pericardial Effusion , Purpura , Vasculitis , Biopsy/methods , Echocardiography/methods , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/surgery , Pericardial Window Techniques , Pericardiocentesis/methods , Purpura/diagnosis , Purpura/drug therapy , Purpura/immunology , Skin/pathology , Treatment Outcome , Vasculitis/complications , Vasculitis/diagnosis , Vasculitis/immunologyABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues to be a public health emergency and a pandemic of international concern. As of April 31st, the reported cases of COVID-19 are three million in 186 countries. Reported case fatality has crossed 200 thousand among which more than fifty thousand has been in the USA. Most patients present with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath following exposure to other COVID-19 patients. Respiratory manifestations predominate in patients with mild, moderate, severe illness. Imaging of patients with COVID-19 consistently reports various pulmonary parenchymal involvement. In this article we wanted to reinforce and review the various reported imaging patterns of cardiac and mediastinal involvement in COVID-19 patients. Among patients with COVID 19 who underwent various imaging of chest various cardiac findings including pericardial effusion, myocarditis, cardiomegaly has been reported. Most of these findings have been consistently reported in patients with significant acute myocardial injury, and fulminant myocarditis. Acute biventricular dysfunction has also been reported with subsequent improvement of the same following clinical improvement. Details of cardiac MRI is rather limited. In a patient with clinical presentation of acute myocarditis, biventricular myocardial interstitial edema, diffuse biventricular hypokinesia, increased ventricular wall thickness, and severe LV dysfunction has been reported. Among patients with significant clinical improvement in LV structure and function has also been documented. With increasing number of clinical cases, future imaging studies will be instrumental in identifying the various cardiac manifestations, and their relation to clinical outcome.
Subject(s)
Cardiomegaly/diagnostic imaging , Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging , Heart/diagnostic imaging , Myocardial Ischemia/diagnostic imaging , Myocarditis/diagnostic imaging , Pericardial Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/diagnostic imaging , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Cardiomegaly/physiopathology , Coronary Angiography , Coronavirus Infections/physiopathology , Echocardiography , Edema/diagnostic imaging , Edema/physiopathology , Heart/physiopathology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Myocardial Ischemia/physiopathology , Myocarditis/physiopathology , Pandemics , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology , Radiography, Thoracic , Recovery of Function , SARS-CoV-2 , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Ventricular Dysfunction/diagnostic imaging , Ventricular Dysfunction/physiopathology , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/physiopathologyABSTRACT
RATIONALE: Infection with the severe acute respiratory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to cause multi-organ involvement including cardiopulmonary serosal layers infection and inflammation. As a result, pericarditis and pericardial effusion may occur with or without COVID-19 related respiratory signs. Due to limitations in sensitivity and specificity of current COVID-19 diagnostic studies, cases that trigger high clinical intuition, even with negative serologic and polymerase chain reaction testing results, may necessitate further diagnostic workup to discover the underlying etiology. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here we present a rare case of pericardial effusion in the setting of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection manifesting with the chief complaint of chest pain. DIAGNOSIS: While undergoing diagnostic workup, the patients first 2 sets of COVID 19 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were negative while a latter RT-PCR test, as well as serology, were positive, leading to the diagnosis of COVID-19 reinfection or subacute presentation of viral infection with pericardial effusion. Echocardiogram depicted large circumferential pericardial effusion with mildly thickened pericardium. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent pericardial window placement followed by ibuprofen administration and discharged from the hospital. OUTCOMES: During the follow-up visit patient had no symptoms and echocardiogram demonstrated complete resolution of the effusion. LESSONS: Due to the possible establishment of pericardial effusions and consecutively tamponade even without any COVID-19 related clinical presentation, it is crucial for clinicians to trust their intuition, conduct the appropriate diagnostic tests, find the underlying diagnosis and prevent the devastating consequences.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , Coronavirus Infections , Echocardiography/methods , Pandemics , Pericardial Effusion , Pericardiocentesis/methods , Pneumonia, Viral , Asymptomatic Infections , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , Chest Pain/diagnosis , Chest Pain/etiology , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/physiopathology , Electrocardiography/methods , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/surgery , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology , SARS-CoV-2 , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cardiac tamponade is a potentially fatal complication after catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias. It often happens during or shortly after the procedure and needs urgent treatment. Here, we present a very incredible case about delayed cardiac tamponade after ablation of premature ventricular complexes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old woman who underwent successful catheter ablation of right ventricular outflow tract origin premature ventricular complexes. Nineteen days after ablation, the patient experienced sudden syncope. Upon arriving at our hospital, she was "confused and shock". Transthoracic echocardiography revealed hemorrhagic cardiac tamponade, which was considered due to a delayed tiny perforation in the heart induced by the previous ablation. Following an emergent pericardiocentesis to drain a 200 mL hemorrhagic effusion, the patient's hemodynamics improved significantly. The patient was discharged after a 2-week hospitalization for investigating other probable causes with negative results. No signs of pericardial effusion recurred in a follow-up time of 12 months. CONCLUSION: This case report demonstrated, for the first time, that very late post-procedural cardiac tamponade might occur after catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias, even without antithrombotic treatment.
Subject(s)
Cardiac Tamponade/etiology , Catheter Ablation/adverse effects , Heart Injuries/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Ventricular Premature Complexes/surgery , Aged , Cardiac Tamponade/diagnostic imaging , Cardiac Tamponade/physiopathology , Cardiac Tamponade/therapy , Female , Heart Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Heart Injuries/physiopathology , Heart Injuries/therapy , Hemodynamics , Humans , Pericardial Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pericardial Effusion/therapy , Pericardiocentesis , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Ventricular Premature Complexes/diagnosisSubject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging , Echocardiography , Pericardial Effusion/diagnostic imaging , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Betacoronavirus , C-Reactive Protein/metabolism , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/blood , Coronavirus Infections/physiopathology , Critical Illness , Female , Ferritins/blood , Heart/diagnostic imaging , Heart/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Myocardial Contraction , Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/blood , Pandemics , Peptide Fragments/blood , Pericardial Effusion/physiopathology , Pneumonia, Viral/blood , Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology , Respiratory Distress Syndrome , SARS-CoV-2 , Stroke Volume , Troponin T/blood , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/blood , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/physiopathologyABSTRACT
A 78-year-old patient with acute respiratory distress was transferred to our hospital with ST segment elevation on electrocardiography. Coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. Thorax computerized tomography showed ground glass opacification with consolidation in the lungs and mild pericardial effusion demonstrating myopericarditis associated with COVID-19.