Early cardiac involvement in patients with acute COVID-19 infection identified by multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. (4th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Bing-Hua; Shi, Nan-Nan; Wu, Chong-Wen; An, Dong-Aolei; Shi, Yu-Xin; Wesemann, Luke D; Hu, Jiani; Xu, Jian-Rong; Shan, Fei; Wu, Lian-Ming
• Is Part Of: European heart journal. Volume 22:Number 8(2021)
• Page Start: 844
• Page End: 851
• Publication Date: 2021-03-04
• Subjects: magnetic resonance imaging -- coronavirus -- inflammation -- diagnosis; Cardiovascular system -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Heart -- Imaging -- Periodicals; 616.10754
• DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/jeab042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2047-2404

Abstract

Abstract: Aims: In order to determine acute cardiac involvement in patients with COVID-19, we quantitatively evaluated tissue characteristics and mechanics by non-invasive cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in a cohort of patients within the first 10 days of the onset of COVID symptoms. Methods and results: Twenty-five patients with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed COVID-19 and at least one marker of cardiac involvement [cardiac symptoms, abnormal electrocardiograph (ECG), or abnormal cardiac biomarkers] and 25 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects were recruited to the study. Patients were divided into those with elevated ( n = 8) or normal TnI ( n = 17). There were significant differences in global longitudinal strain among patients who were positive and negative for hs-TnI, and controls [−12.3 (−13.3, −11.5)%, −13.1 (−14.2, −9.8)%, and −15.7 (−18.3, −12.7)%, P = 0.004]. Native myocardial T1 relaxation times in patients with positive and negative hs-TnI manifestation (1169.8 ± 12.9 and 1113.2 ± 31.2 ms) were significantly higher than the normal (1065 ± 57 ms) subjects, respectively ( P < 0.001). The extracellular volume (ECV) of patients who were positive and negative for hs-TnI was higher than that of the normal controls [32 (31, 33)%, 29 (27, 30)%, and 26 (24, 27.5)%, P < 0.001]. In our study, quantitative T2 mapping in patients who were positive and negative for hs-TnI [51 (47.9, 52.8) and 48 (47, 49.4) ms] was significantly higher than the normal [42 (41, 45.2) ms] subjects ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients with early-stage COVID-19, myocardial oedema, and functional abnormalities are a frequent finding, while irreversible regional injury such as necrosis may be infrequent.